VIDEO SHOWS: PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE KIRSTY COVENTRY FIGHTING BACK TEARS DURING HER OLYMPIC FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY ADDRESS SHOWS: ANCIENT OLYMPIA, GREECE (NOVEMBER 26, 2025) (IOC – See restrictions) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE KIRSTY COVENTRY, SAYING: "Today, we started a very symbolic day by standing at the foot of Pierre de Coubertin's tomb where his heart is, and it was a special moment because it reminded us where the modern games started. There's the emotions. These games come at a critical part in our history." 2. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE KIRSTY COVENTRY, SAYING: "Thank you, I wasn't supposed to get emotional, but this place is very special." STORY: IOC President Kirsty Coventry cried during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia on Wednesday (November 26) as she oversaw her biggest engagement since being elected in March. The Zimbabwean, who swept to victory earlier this year in the first round of voting, will take charge at an Olympics for the first time in February at the Milano-Cortina winter games. To mark the countdown to that event, a special ceremony was held in Greece on Wednesday, with the Olympic flame lit before being handed on to Milano-Cortina organisers. During her speech, Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion, began crying before saying: "I wasn't supposed to get emotional, but this place is very special." (Production: Joseph Andrews, Iain Axon)
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