‘Extraordinary moment’: Kirsty Coventry becomes first woman, African to lead IOC

Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and first African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, saying it was an “extraordinary moment”. The 41-year-old two-time Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe is also the youngest person ever 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 was only the second woman to run for the post. Coventry, the Zimbabwean sports minister, is a close ally of German Thomas Bach, who steps down as IOC chief 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. “This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, with the values at the core and I will make all of you very, very proud and, I hope, extremely confident in the decision you’ve taken today. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Bach was thought to favour Coventry but after the vote he again refused to be drawn on that. “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 chief 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. Samaranch, 65, was bidding to emulate his father of the same name who led the Olympic movement for 21 years and 68-year-old World Athletics president Coe was seeking to become the first Briton. For both, their dreams of being IOC president one day are over, owing to their ages. Ski federation chief Johan Eliasch, Morinari Watanabe, president of the international gymnastics federation, cycling head David Lappartient and Prince Feisal al-Hussein were the other four candidates. None of that quartet received more than four votes. Although she fought a low-key media campaign compared with Coe and Samaranch Junior, her lobbying was so effective that one seriously ill member specifically flew to Greece to vote for her. Questions had been raised about Coventry being a minister in a Zimbabwean government whose election in 2023 was declared undemocratic and unfair. However, it made little impact with her electorate. Coventry faces enormous geopolitical challenges, such as dealing with unpredictable US president Donald Trump in the run-up to Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Games. Coventry said during her campaign that if she won it would be a huge moment for Africa as it would show “we’re ready to lead”. She will take over a financially secure IOC but those calm waters are muddied by a febrile geopolitical situation. Samaranch Junior had argued that in this “very complex world”, where previously undisputed truths such as “universality, fraternity and unity” are now questioned, it was no time to take a leap in the dark. The Spaniard, an assured and polished performer who is IOC vice-president, congratulated Coventry and said he “was not going anywhere.” “It is very good news, the IOC is moving into the future, she has so much support from the membership, we will all walk behind her,” he said. Coe appeared to be seen by Bach as the disrupter candidate, which is perhaps surprising given many would view him as an establishment figure. His low score will be a bitter blow to the two-time 1,500 metres Olympic champion who is accustomed to success. He took the dashing of his dream on the chin, though, grinning when asked if it had been a clean fight and replying: “It was an election.” “I am really pleased for Kirsty, it is really good there is an athlete at the top of the organisation.” One of the major problems the new president will face will be the return to the Olympic fold of Russia. In Paris last year their athletes were forced to compete under a neutral banner, owing to the Ukraine war. Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyaryov, who is also head of the national Olympic committee, congratulated Coventry. “We look forward to a stronger, more independent, and more prosperous Olympic movement under a new leader, and to Russia returning to the Olympic podium,” he wrote on his Telegram account.