Passing the Flame

On February 6, I carried the Olympic flame through the streets of Milan; and then I placed it into the hands of Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee.

I have had many extraordinary moments in my Olympic life. I stood up for athletes' rights in 1980 when it cost me my own chance to compete. I helped plan Olympic Villages in 1984. I served on the IOC Executive Board for many years and was the first woman elected Vice President. But, this moment in Milan was something different; something I had worked toward without fully knowing it.

When I began my work in Olympic governance nearly four decades ago, the idea of a woman leading the IOC was not part of anyone's serious conversation. We were fighting just to be in the room. We were fighting for women's events to be added to the programme. We were fighting for a seat at the table where decisions about sport's future were made.

Now, having a woman President of the IOC is exactly how the world should be.

Kirsty is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a seven-time Olympic medalist in swimming. She understands what it means to push past limits....in the pool and in the boardroom. She is the right leader for this moment: thoughtful, courageous, committed to the athletes.

She said publicly that I "....led the way for female leaders in sports, globally." Those words mean the world to me. But the truth is: we all led the way. Every woman who fought to compete, every woman who insisted on being heard in governance, every woman who refused to accept that sport was not for her.

The Olympic flame is a symbol of continuity. It connects ancient Olympia to every host city, every generation, every athlete who carries the dream of peaceful competition. Handing that flame to Kirsty was not just a personal moment between two women who love sport. It was a symbol of what becomes possible when we refuse to accept limits on who can lead.

Sport belongs to everyone. It always has. Now the world is beginning to understand that leadership in sport does too.

~ Anita

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT HERE:
https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/olympic-torch-relay-emotional-handover-from-women-in-sport-trailblazer-anita-defrantz-to-ioc-president-kirsty-coventry

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