Olympic gold medalist and former Zimbabwean sports minister Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the first woman and first African to lead the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The 41-year-old secured victory in a secret ballot at the 144th IOC Session in Greece on Thursday.
Coventry, a seven-time Olympic medalist, will officially take over from Thomas Bach on June 23. Her tenure will span eight years, beginning with the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. A five-time Olympian, Coventry has broken multiple world records throughout her swimming career.
"I believe our Olympic Movement has a pivotal role to play in today's world, a world increasingly divided. We have the opportunity to demonstrate the true power of sport: the resilience to rise after failure, the strength to never give up, and the importance of understanding and respect, even in the face of perceived differences. So often, these differences are rooted in misconceptions," she stressed in her election manifesto.
