Kirsty Coventry makes history as first female IOC president in landmark election

Kirsty Coventry has shattered a 130-year-old glass ceiling by becoming the International Olympic Committee’s first female president, decisively defeating six male candidates including Britain’s Lord Coe in Thursday’s landmark election.

The 41-year-old Zimbabwean, a former swimmer with two Olympic gold medals, secured a commanding 49 votes from the 97-member committee in the first round. Her nearest challenger, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., received 28 votes, while World Athletics president Coe managed just eight.

“This vote sends a powerful signal that we’re truly global and have evolved into an organization genuinely committed to diversity,” Coventry declared following her historic victory. “The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamed of this moment.”

Coventry will succeed Thomas Bach on June 23, becoming both the youngest president and first African to lead the prestigious organization. Her inaugural Olympics will be the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

During her campaign, Coventry emphasized modernization, sustainability, technological integration, and athlete empowerment. She placed particular focus on protecting women’s sports, supporting restrictions on transgender women in female Olympic competition.

Despite finishing a distant third, Coe graciously acknowledged defeat, stating: “We have an athlete at the helm of the organization. She will have the confidence of the athletes, and that’s very important.”

As Zimbabwe’s current sports minister, Coventry has faced domestic criticism regarding her association with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s controversial government. However, she pledged to leverage the Olympic movement’s unifying potential amid today’s geopolitical challenges.

“This is our biggest platform to showcase humanity’s positive aspects and share Olympic values,” she affirmed.