Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and first African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, saying it was an “extraordinary moment”.

The 41-year-old two-time Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe is also the youngest person to hold the most powerful position in sports governance.

“It is a really powerful signal we are truly global and evolved into an organisation open to diversity,” said Coventry, who paid tribute to her supporter Anita DeFrantz, the first woman to run for the post of IOC supremo.

“It is significant women like her paved the way for more women like me and I want to pave the way for younger generations, especially because I have two young daughters.”

Coventry, the Zimbabwean sports minister, is a close ally of Thomas Bach, the German who will step down as IOC supremo after 12 years.

“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl I never thought that I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Coventry said.

Bach was thought to favour Coventry but after the vote he again refused to be drawn on the issue.

“She has a very strong mandate, it is a great signal of unity in the Olympic movement and she can count on the support of the membership,” said Bach, who hands over power officially on June 24.

Coventry was thought to be in a tight-run race with IOC veteran Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.

However, to general surprise the race was decided in the first round of voting.

Coventry received 49 of the 97 votes possible, with Samaranch obtaining 28 and Coe third with a humbling eight votes.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/coventry-enjoys-extraordinary-moment-as-she-becomes-iocs-first-woman-leader/