Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe’s sports minister and former Olympic champion, has been elected President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), making history as the first African and the first woman to lead the global sporting body.
The 41-year-old secured a decisive victory during Thursday’s election in Greece, winning 49 of the 97 votes in the first round. She defeated several high-profile candidates, including World Athletics president Lord Coe, who was widely considered a frontrunner but received only eight votes. Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. finished second with 28 votes, while four other contenders garnered minimal support.
Coventry’s election ushers in a new chapter for the IOC as she becomes both the youngest president in the organization’s 130-year history and the first to hail from Africa. She will serve an initial eight-year term, succeeding Germany’s Thomas Bach, who has led the IOC since 2013.
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A decorated athlete, Coventry is Zimbabwe’s most successful Olympian, having won seven of the country’s eight Olympic medals. Her achievements include two gold medals in the 200m backstroke at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games. Beyond her sporting career, she has held influential leadership roles, including serving on the IOC executive board and as Zimbabwe’s minister of youth, sport, arts, and recreation.
In her acceptance speech, Coventry described her election as an “extraordinary moment” and expressed pride in breaking new ground.
“I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC president and also the first from Africa,” she said.
Her historic win is seen as a turning point for the Olympic movement, signaling a new era of leadership focused on inclusivity, innovation, and athlete welfare.
