Ms. Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, visited Budapest from 11 to 13 June 2026. The IOC President was the guest of the European Olympic Committees’ Annual General Assembly and the Hungarian Olympic Committee.
On the day of her arrival, President Coventry visited the swimming academy of three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszú. James Macleod, IOC Director of NOC Relations, Olympic Solidarity and Olympism365, Olympic champion Ágnes Kovács, and Balázs Fürjes, IOC Member in Hungary, accompanied the President to the famous Duna Arena, venue of the 2017 and 2022 World Aquatics Championships.
“Last time I was here was in 2017, for the World Aquatics Championships, which was a fantastic event with a wonderful atmosphere,” said Kirsty Coventry. “I believe that in Hungary and within Hungarian society, sport is truly alive and thriving, and it is always a pleasure to witness that.
…sport plays an exceptional role in society, and this is something we should recognise every day. We know that sport contributes to healthier lives, builds communities, and opens doors for young people. It teaches us how to strive, how to recover from setbacks, and how to respect one another. A sense of belonging is more important than ever in today’s deeply divided world, and that places a tremendous responsibility on all of us.” – the president added in her speech at the EOC General Assembly
The following day, President Coventry visited the headquarters of the Hungarian NOC and discussed the challenges and opportunities of the Olympic Movement with the Hungarian Olympic family. She was introduced to Hungary’s unique corporate tax benefit system, which supports the funding of grassroots and elite sport, as well as the special national financial reward system for Olympians, Paralympians and their coaches following achievements at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, including a lifetime annuity from the age of 35.
The activities of the NOC were also presented to President Coventry and described as “by athletes, for athletes”, since 11 of the 13 Board members are former Olympians who have collectively won 8 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals at various editions of the Games. Hungary was presented to the IOC President as a proud Olympic nation, and Budapest as a global sports capital.
The presentations and discussions were attended by members of the wider Hungarian Olympic family, including President Zsolt Gyulay, Board members Emese Szász, Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer and Balázs Fürjes, IOC Member in Hungary, Olympic champion swimmers Ágnes Kovács and Dániel Gyurta, advisor Alexa Mizsér from PwC, architect Gábor Zoboki and astronaut Tibor Kapu. Pál Schmitt, Honorary IOC Member, and Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy, head of the BOM Foundation, also joined the discussions, together with Professor Ernő Rubik, creator of the Rubik’s Cube.
At the NOC headquarters, the IOC President also met African and Asian athletes who are scholarship holders of the Hungarian Stipendium Hungaricum Sport programme. Through this programme, Hungary provides judokas and swimmers from countries with developing sport systems with the opportunity to earn a university degree, train and compete, and live in Budapest, all with the support of Hungary as the host nation.
Later that day, the IOC President, accompanied by Spyros Capralos, IOC Member and EOC President, and Balázs Fürjes, held meetings with Mr Gergely Karácsony, Mayor of Budapest, and various senior government representatives, including Mr Gábor Pósfai, Minister of the Interior and Sport, and Mr Dávid Vitézy, Minister of Transport and Construction.
