The Zimbabwe Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, becoming the first female and the first African to lead the organization in its 131-year history.
In a position that is considered the “most powerful job in world sport”, Ms. Coventry won in the first round with the required 49 votes, while Juan Antonio Samaranch, in second place, got 28 votes, with Lord Coe picking up eight.
The election was conducted in a secret ballot of seven candidates at the 144th IOC session at the top resort of Costa Navarino, in Greece, on Thursday 20 March, confirming the 41-year-old as the President for the IOC’s 10th leader for the next eight years.
Voters in the exclusive club of IOC members include royal family members, former politicians and diplomats, business leaders, sports officials, and Olympic athletes.
Ahead of her presidency awaits two important games; the Winter Olympics in Milan in 2026 followed by the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“As a nine-year-old girl I never thought I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Ms Coventry told Sky Sports.
“This is not just a huge honour, but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you, that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, with the values at the core, and I will make all of you very very proud.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart and now we’ve got some work together.”
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Kirsty Coventry was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and made her Olympic debut in 2000, a day after she turned 17. She won gold in the 200m backstroke at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics – taking home seven medals across those games.
The Olympic gold medallist joined the IOC in 2013, almost one year after a disputed athlete election at the London Olympics.
Official work of the new president commences just after previous IOC president Thomas Bach formally leaves office on Olympic Day, 23 June, having served a maximum of 12 years in office.
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