In the first round of voting at the 144th IOC Session in Greece, Africa’s most decorated Olympic athlete, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, was elected to serve as the organization’s 10th president.
The 41-year-old is the first woman and first leader from Africa named president in the IOC’s 131-year history.
“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 during her acceptance speech. “This is not just a huge honor, but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organization with so much pride.”
One of seven candidates for the job, Coventry earned a 49-vote majority from 97 IOC members, who cast their ballots anonymously.
Coventry is the current sports minister of Zimbabwe and a two-time Olympic swimming champion, earning gold medals in 2004 and 2008 in the 200m backstroke. She also won four Olympic silver medals; one in 2004 and three in 2008.
Coventry has also been involved with the IOC since 2014 when she started on the Olympic Solidarity Commission. She’s currently an individual member, Chair of the Coordination Commission for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 and Chair of the Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXV Olympiad Brisbane 2032. Coventry was also a member of the executive board from 2018 to 2021.
Utah Organizing Committee Executive Chair and President Fraser Bullock said Coventry represents a bright future for the Olympic movement and brings unity.
"As we lead up to the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City-Utah, we will look to her guidance as an accomplished Olympic champion, and a young next-generational leader who has been a strong athlete voice and understands full well the impact the Olympic Movement can have on humanity," he said.]
Coventry will start her first eight-year term in June, replacing IOC President Thomas Bach, who has held the job since 2013.
Coventry’s term as IOC president can be extended by four years. If that occurs, she would oversee the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah.
