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Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport and president of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), has congratulated Kirsty Coventry on her election as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and said that the COC stands ready to further deepen partnership with the IOC.

China has made great contribution to the Olympic movement and as the new IOC president aims to focus on promoting youth engagement and digital transformation, there is great potential for future cooperation, a Chinese expert said on Friday.  

Coventry was elected as the 10th president of the ICO on Thursday, making history as the first woman and the first African to lead the global Olympic movement, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Immediately after Coventry's election, Gao sent a congratulatory letter to the new IOC. In the letter, Gao said that Coventry's election fully reflects the trust and support of the Olympic family and he believes and expects that under Coventry's leadership, the Olympic movement will usher in new and greater development.

"The COC stands ready to further consolidate and deepen our strategic partnership with the IOC and make China's contribution to promoting the reform and development of the Olympic movement," Gao said in the letter.  

China has played a historic role in promoting the Olympic movement, Luo Le, a sports scholar at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the Global Times on Friday. "While hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, we have actively promoted Olympic culture," he said.

As the youngest of the seven candidates, Coventry's campaign emphasized modernizing the Olympic movement, enhancing youth engagement, and strengthening the role of athletes within the IOC's decision-making processes, Xinhua reported.

She has also prioritized digital transformation to make the Games more accessible and relevant to younger audiences, along with sustainability efforts to ensure that the Olympic Games remain environmentally and financially viable, according to the report.

China has a vast user base in digital media and is one of the largest markets for new media, particularly short videos. This is especially true for the younger generation. To gain their support, it is essential to adopt communication methods they are familiar with and engage with the platforms they frequent, Luo said. "In this regard, China has the market, technology, and experience for collaboration," he said.

Coventry, 41, who secured the presidency in the first round of voting, will officially take office after June 23, succeeding Thomas Bach, who has served as president since 2013. Coventry's presidency is set for an eight-year term, with the option to seek a four-year extension, according to Xinhua.

Bach has hailed China's contribution to the Olympic movement and its role on the international stage. "Not only organizing these big Olympic events, China also takes the continental Games into consideration. It is going way beyond. We have an excellent cooperation with China in many fields," Bach told Xinhua in February. 

After the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing became the world's first and only dual Olympic city to have hosted both the summer and winter Olympic Games. The 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games was also held in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, in 2014. 

Over time, China's approach to the Olympics has evolved, with the public now appreciating not only the athletes' medal-winning achievements but also the performances and spirit of the athletes displayed, Luo said.

August 8, the opening day of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was later designated China's National Fitness Day, reflecting the growing role of sports in daily life. Meanwhile, China has already reached its target of getting over 300 million people involved in winter sports in recent years as winter sports and tourism surged in popularity across China. 

Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Friday that Chinese people have deepened their understanding of the Olympic movement, which is a cultural and educational endeavor that promotes the holistic development of individuals.