Kirsty Coventry, a Zimbabwean athlete and sports minister, made history as the first female and first African to be elected as President of the International Olympic Committee in its 131-year history. “It is a signal that we are truly global,” the two-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer said. Coventry won by 97 votes from IOC members in the first round, beating Britain’s Sebastian Coe, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., Frenchman David Lappartient, Jordan’s Prince Feisal, Swedish-born Johan Eliasch, and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe.
Who is Kirsty Coventry?
Kirsty Coventry will serve an eight-year mandate into 2033, aged just 41. Born on September 16, 1983, in Harare, she is Zimbabwe's most decorated Olympian, with seven medals including two golds, at the 2004 Athens Games and 2008 Beijing Games.
Post retiring from sports, Coventry stepped into politics and was elected as the country's Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in 2018. She also represented athletes on the IOC executive board from 2018 to 2021.
During her campaign for the IOC presidency, Coventry stated that she advocates for a total ban on transgender athletes in categories that match their choice of gender identity, saying it would "ensure fairness" and "maintain the integrity of women's categories."
Coventry will formally replace Thomas Bach on June 23, 2025, marking Olympic Day, as the 10th IOC President. She will be responsible for addressing key challenges such as rising costs, geopolitical issues, and the evolving global sports governance.
In her acceptance speech, Coventry said, "This is an extraordinary moment. As a 9-year-old girl, I never thought that I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement."
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