Who is Kirsty Coventry? First female, youngest, African IOC president

Securing 49 out of 97 votes, Kirsty Coventry won a decisive victory over Spanish IOC vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe

Former Zimbabwe’s Olympic swimming champion, Kirsty Coventry, has been elected as the first female president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). At 41, she also became the youngest leader in the 130-year history of the world’s most influential sporting body.  

 

A highly accomplished Olympian, Coventry has represented Zimbabwe in multiple Olympic Games and currently serves as the country’s Minister of Youth, Arts, and Recreation. Known for her firm stance on political matters, she now also holds the distinction of being the first African to lead the IOC, according to a report by Associated Press.

 

“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl, I never thought I’d be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Coventry said during her acceptance speech, smiling as outgoing president Thomas Bach revealed a document bearing her name.  

 

 

“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,” she said.  

 

Securing 49 out of 97 votes, Coventry achieved a decisive victory over Spanish IOC vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (28 votes) and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe (eight votes), both strong contenders for the role.    ALSO READ | India submits interest to host 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad

 

She will serve as the 10th IOC president, with her eight-year term extending until 2033. A key challenge in her tenure will be overseeing preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

 

Who is Kirsty Coventry?

A former swimmer, Coventry is Zimbabwe’s most decorated Olympian. She was elected as the next IOC president on March 20 and will officially assume office in June 2025, succeeding Thomas Bach.  

 

Her election marks a historic moment, as she is both the first woman and the first African to hold the position. Coventry has announced her intention to step down from her government role in Zimbabwe and relocate to Lausanne, Switzerland, where the IOC headquarters are based.  

 

During her athletic career, Coventry secured consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 200-metre backstroke at the 2004 and 2008 Games. She last competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she ended her Olympic journey with a total of seven medals — more than any other African athlete.  

 

Her association with the IOC began in 2013 as part of the Athletes’ Commission. She also served as the IOC Athlete Representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from 2012 to 2021 and was a member of WADA’s Athlete Committee from 2014 to 2021. Coventry, who currently serves on the IOC executive board, will officially take over leadership on June 23, celebrated globally as Olympic Day.  

 

Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe, famously dubbed her the country’s “Golden Girl” and honoured her contributions to sport with a diplomatic passport and a reward of $100,000.  

 

Education and career

Coventry received her early education at an all-girls convent school in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, before moving to the United States to attend Auburn University in Alabama, where she became a professional swimmer.  

 

She made her Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games while still in high school. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she won three medals, followed by four more at the 2008 Beijing Games.

 

Between 2018 and 2021, Coventry served as an athlete representative on the IOC executive board under Thomas Bach.

 

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the governing body responsible for organising the Olympic Games and leading the Olympic Movement. Established on June 23, 1894, in Paris by Pierre de Coubertin, the IOC was created to promote international understanding through sports and to revive the ancient Olympic Games. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, which was designated as the Olympic Capital in 1994.

 

The IOC helps in collaboration among various stakeholders in the Olympic community, including National Olympic Committees, International Federations, athletes, and organising committees. Its mission is to build a better world through sport and to ensure the regular celebration of the Olympic Games while promoting Olympism worldwide.

 

Throughout its history, the IOC has had ten presidents: 

-Demetrius Vikelas (Greece) - 1894 to 1896

-Pierre de Coubertin (France) - 1896 to 1925

-Henri de Baillet-Latour (Belgium) - 1925 to 1942

-J. Sigfrid Edstrom (Sweden) - 1946 to 1952

-Avery Brundage (USA) - 1952 to 1972

-Lord Killanin (Ireland) - 1972 to 1980

-Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain) - 1980 to 2001

-Jacques Rogge (Belgium) - 2001 to 2013

-Thomas Bach (Germany) - 2013 to 2025

-Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) - 2025 onwards

 

The IOC also plays a critical role in promoting ethical practices in sports, combating doping, and ensuring fair competition. It manages various programmes aimed at supporting athletes and developing sports globally. The organisation is funded entirely through private sources, distributing approximately 90 per cent of its revenue back into the sports movement.

 

[With inputs from AP]