Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was elected on Thursday as the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the first female President in IOC history, following one round of voting at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece.
Coventry was chosen over fellow presidential candidates HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Lord Sebastian Coe and Morinari Watanabe.
President-elect Coventry said: “I am incredibly honoured and excited to be elected as President of the International Olympic Committee! I want to sincerely thank my fellow members for their trust and support.
“The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamt of this moment.
“I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC President, and also the first from Africa. I hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people. Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model.
“Sport has an unmatched power to unite, inspire and create opportunities for all, and I am committed to making sure we harness that power to its fullest.
“Together with the entire Olympic family, including our athletes, fans and sponsors, we will build on our strong foundations, embrace innovation, and champion the values of friendship, excellence and respect. The future of the Olympic Movement is bright, and I can’t wait to get started!”
After the election, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Congratulations to Kirsty Coventry on her election as the 10th IOC President. I warmly welcome the decision of the IOC Members and look forward to strong cooperation, particularly during the transition period. There is no doubt that the future for our Olympic Movement is bright and that the values we stand for will continue to guide us through the years to come.”
Coventry will succeed the ninth IOC President, Thomas Bach, whose 12-year tenure will officially end after Monday, 23 June 2025. The President is elected by the IOC Members by secret ballot for a term of eight years.
COVENTRY’S PROFILE
SPORTS CAREER
Aquatics (swimming: backstroke and individual medley) – Olympic Games: gold medals in 2004 and 2008 (200m backstroke); silver medals in 2004 (100m backstroke) and in 2008 (200m individual medley, 400m individual medley and 100m backstroke); bronze medal in 2004 (200m individual medley); competed in 2000 and 2016 – World Championships: gold medals in 2005 (100m and 200m backstroke) and in 2009 (200m backstroke); silver medals in 2005 (200m and 400m individual medley), in 2007 (200m backstroke and 200m individual medley) and in 2009 (400m individual medley) – World Cups: silver medal in 2010 (200m individual medley) and bronze medals in 2010 (200m backstroke and 200m individual medley)
11th African Games Brazzaville 2015: gold medal (200m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 100m backstroke)
SPORTS ADMINISTRATION
Member of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee (NOC 2013-); Vice President of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee (2017-2018, stepped down after Government Appointment); IOC Athlete Representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (2012-2021); Member of the WADA’s Athlete Committee (2014-2021); Vice-president of the International Surfing Association (ISA) (2016-); FINA Athlete Committee Member (2017-); Minister of Sport in Zimbabwe (2018-); Founder of KCA Swim Academy, which focuses on learning to swim and water safety for children (2016-); Co-Founder of HEROES, a not-for-profit organisation that uses sport to deliver soft skills to children aged 6yrs-13yrs in underprivileged areas; provides motivational talks and clinics for schools and developing athletes around the world; advisor to groups, businesses, foundations and individuals interested in developing athletes’ skills and careers.
IOC HISTORY
Member of the Executive Board (2018-2021 in her capacity as Chair of the Athletes’ Commission); Individual Member (2023-); Member of the Athletes Commission (2013-2021), Chair of the Athletes’ Commission (2018-2021); Chair of the Coordination Commission for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 (2018-); Chair of the Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXV Olympiad Brisbane 2032 (2021-); Member of the following Commissions: Coordination for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 (2014-2021), Olympic Solidarity (2014-), Olympic Channel (2015-2018), Evaluation for the Games of XXXIII Olympiad in 2024 (2016-2017), Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport (2016-2018), Public Affairs and Corporate Communications (2022-), Evaluation for the Youth Olympic Games 2022 (2018); Member of the Board of directors of Olympic Channel Services S.A., Switzerland (2018-2021) Finance (2023-)
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