IOC’s Coventry pauses 2036 Olympics hosting contest in 1st big decision of her presidency

India’s push toward winning the 2036 Olympics hosting contest seemed to stall a little on Thursday in the first big decision of Kirsty Coventry’s IOC presidency. Coventry paused the fast tracking of a preferred bidder — a signature policy of her predecessor and mentor Thomas Bach — in a concession to International Olympic Committee members who have wanted more say in decisions under new leadership. “Members want to be engaged more in the process” of picking Olympic hosts, Coventry acknowledged, citing “overwhelming support” at meetings this week to stop and review how it is done and when. India has been…