Pakistan, June 23 -- First impressions can be deceptive but Kirsty Coventry showed that behind a sunny disposition she will have the mettle to deal with the trickiest of people and situations when she succeeds Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday.

Looming large on the horizon of the 41-year-old Zimbabwean - the first woman and African to occupy the post of the most powerful single figure in sport - is US President Donald Trump. With Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics, Trump will feature often on Coventry's agenda.

Trump has not been shy in giving public dressing downs to world leaders - notably Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa. Judging ...