:no_upscale())
IOC President Kirsty Coventry
Auckland will host International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry as she makes her inaugural official visit to Oceania next year as part of a week of high-level sport meetings in May.
Sporting leaders from across Oceania will gather May 18 – 22nd for the 2026 Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) General Assembly, joined by delegates from the IOC, Commonwealth Sport, the Oceania Paralympic Committee and the Oceania Athletes Commission.
New Zealand Olympic Committee President Liz Dawson said she was delighted New Zealand was named 2026 host.
“We’re a proud member of the ONOC and we value the opportunity to share New Zealand culture and our sporting and event expertise with our colleagues across the Pacific Islands and our international visitors. The 2026 General Assembly will be the first opportunity to formally welcome new IOC President Coventryto our region,” said Dawson.
ONOC President Baklai Temengil expressed her confidence in Auckland as 2026 host at this important time in Oceania Olympic Committee history.
“There is a strong sense of momentum across the region as we take the learnings from the Paris Olympic Games and transition towards LA2028 and on to Brisbane 2032, our Home Games. We look forward to New Zealand playing a role in bringing our Pacific and Oceania family together at next year’s General Assembly.
We also thank President Coventry for graciously accepting our invitation and we look forward to discussing the future of Olympic sport in Oceania with her,” said Temengil.
The ONOC General Assembly will take place on May 21st in Auckland and will be flanked by the ONOC Executive Board meeting, LA2028 Games planning workshop, an Oceania Athletes Leaders Forum, the Commonwealth Sport regional meeting and a range of cultural activities.
New Zealand Olympic Committee CEO Nicki Nicol added that she looked forward to working with Government, the New Zealand sporting sector and key partners and stakeholders to connect them with the week of sport leadership.
“We are looking forward to providing opportunities for New Zealand sport to connect directly with the IOC President as well as Pacific athletes and sporting leaders. We know we will showcase our fabulous kiwi Manaaki over a week of engagement and connection with like-minded leaders who value the power of sport in making a difference in lives across the Pacific.”
Around 200 delegates are expected in Auckland for the week.
The NZOC thanks Auckland Convention Bureau for their support.