Fifteen days after her overwhelming victory in the Peloponnesian electoral battle, with the euphoria of renewal still unleashed and a rather uncertain geopolitical horizon ahead, the president-elect of the International Olympic Committee was warmly received on Monday at the Olympic House in Lausanne.
Amidst uncontrollable emotion, displays of affection, and applause from IOC staff, Kirsty Coventry entered the building with her discreet winner’s imprint, the one that has led her to the pinnacle of modern Olympism. President Thomas Bach, who handed her a bouquet of flowers, and Director General Christophe De Kepper took care of welcoming her, just before posing for a group photo with the Zimbabwean at the front, accompanied by all those present.
In the speech she addressed to the staff, Coventry was as expressive as she was emotional. “Wow! This will be etched in my memory for a long time. I feel incredibly honoured to be here. I think that, as a nine-year-old girl, I never imagined that I would ever be here with the opportunity to contribute to this Movement and work with all of you to ensure that other nine-year-olds make their dreams come true.” The president made clear the sense of enthusiasm she feels about the mandate ahead. “Part of my campaign was the Ubuntu philosophy of ‘I am because we are,’ and that will be the basis of everything. Let’s do it!”
Coventry’s first visit to the Olympic House as president-elect comes before the IOC Executive Board meeting scheduled for April 9, which is part of the three-month transition period in which the reins of Olympism will gradually pass from Bach to the new African leader. Coventry will now visit the Olympic House periodically until the official handover ceremony on June 23.
At 41 years old, Coventry will officially assume the highest seat of the world’s most influential sports organisation after winning by an absolute majority in the elections held during the 144th IOC Session last March in Costa Navarino. With her victory over half a dozen candidates, she automatically became the first woman and tenth leader to take the reins of the Committee in 130 years of history.
“Women are ready to lead,” declared the new president recently, anticipating the moment of glory she now enjoys. She remains one of the most prominent figures in the history of African sport and the most decorated African Olympic athlete thanks to her role as a swimmer, with seven medals in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 (two gold, four silver, and one bronze). After retiring from competition, she was Zimbabwe’s Minister of Sports and, at the same time, chaired the IOC Athletes’ Commission, one of the Committee’s most influential bodies.
Now she faces the challenge of leading the movement in an era plagued by controversial issues, such as the situation of Russian athletes in the sports landscape, the debate around women’s sports categories, global armed conflicts, the unpredictability of Donald Trump’s new government, or the loss of several major Olympic sponsors, among others.
The double champion joined the Olympic assembly 12 years ago as an athlete representative and was later renewed as a permanent member. Since then, Bach has kept her by his side, giving her positions of increasing responsibility. She currently chairs the coordination commissions for the Dakar 2026 Youth Games and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, among other functions she will have to abandon upon assuming the presidency.
Her ascent to the Olympic throne breaks the IOC’s glass ceiling and marks the beginning of a new era in the world of sport. “I will make you proud and confident in the decision you have made today,” proclaimed Coventry after her overwhelming victory.
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