Kirsty Coventry Elected as IOC President
Zimbabwean athlete Kirsty Coventry was elected as the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, March 20, at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece. She will serve an eight-year term and assume office after a handover on June 23.
Election Results
Kirsty Coventry received 49 votes in the first round, exactly the number required for a majority from the 97 votes cast. She defeated Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., who secured 28 votes. Britain’s Sebastian Coe, once seen as a front-runner, finished a distant third with just eight votes.
The remaining votes went to Frenchman David Lappartient, Jordan’s Prince Feisal, Swedish-born Johan Eliasch, and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe. The election process involved a secret ballot with seven candidates.
Kirsty Coventry Replacing Thomas Bach
Coventry will replace outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach, who first took office in 2013 and was re-elected in 2021. Bach will stay in his role until the handover and will then resign as an IOC member. He will assume the title of Honorary President.
A Historic Moment for Africa and Women in Sports
Coventry will be the first woman and the first person from Africa to serve as IOC President. She expressed her pride in her Zimbabwean heritage, saying, “To Africa: this is our time.” Coventry emphasized that her election signifies a truly global and diverse organization. She is currently an IOC Member and serves as the Minister of Sport, Art & Recreation in Zimbabwe, a role she has held since 2018.
Coventry’s Background and Achievements
Kirsty Coventry served as vice president of the International Surfing Federation from 2017 to 2024. She was first elected as an IOC Member through the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2013, serving until 2021. In 2018, she became Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, joining the IOC Executive Board. 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.
Born in Harare, Coventry competed in five Olympic Games. Between her debut at Sydney 2000 and her final appearance at Rio 2016, she won seven Olympic medals, including two golds, four silvers, and one bronze. Her gold medals came in the 200m backstroke at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics. No other African athlete has won more Olympic medals. Coventry also achieved success at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and African Games.
Challenges Ahead as IOC President
As the new IOC President, Coventry faces significant challenges. She will need to manage the influence of global leaders and protect women’s sports. Her first Olympic Games to oversee will be the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Political Controversies
Though Coventry’s election was well-received by the IOC family, some have raised concerns over her ties to the Zimbabwean government. Zimbabwe has faced international sanctions, including from the United States and the European Union, due to its problematic history with political freedoms.
Coventry has long been recognized in Zimbabwe, where she received a $100,000 award from former President Robert Mugabe for her success at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Mugabe ruled the country for 37 years before being overthrown in a 2017 military-backed coup.
Despite Coventry’s attempts to distance herself from political affairs, her role as Minister of Sport, Art & Recreation and her connections to Zimbabwe’s leadership continue to be contentious. These issues will likely remain as she steps into the leadership of the IOC, the world’s most influential sports organization.