The International Olympic Committee will spearhead discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports, its new president, Kirsty Coventry, said on Thursday, four years after the ruling body urged federations to handle the issue independently.

Coventry, who officially took over the presidency from Thomas Bach following Monday's ceremony in Lausanne as the first woman and first African to hold the position, said she now wanted the IOC to "protect the female category."

She announced the formation of a working group to lead these discussions and another to review the election process for future Olympic host cities.