Coventry elected as IOC’s first female president
Zimbabwe’s sports minister, Kirsty Coventry, has been elected as the new president of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the first woman and first African to hold the role.
The 41-year-old former swimmer, who won two Olympic gold medals, will replace Thomas Bach – who has held the role since 2013 – and be the youngest president in the IOC’s 130-year history.
World Athletics boss, Lord Coe, was among the favourites to win Thursday’s election in Greece, but Coventry secured an absolute majority of 49 of the 97 votes available in the first round.
Runner-up Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr won 28 votes while Coe secured eight.
France’s David Lappartient and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe earned four votes each, while Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan and Sweden’s Johan Eliasch both took two.
Coventry, who already sits on the IOC executive board and was said to be Bach’s preferred candidate, is the 10th person to hold the highest office in sport and will be in post for at least the next eight years.
Coventry has won seven of Zimbabwe’s eight Olympic medals – including gold in the 200m backstroke at both the 2004 and 2008 Games.
During her election campaign Coventry pledged to modernise, promote sustainability, embrace technology and empower athletes.
She placed particular emphasis on protecting female sport, backing a blanket ban of transgender women from competing in female Olympic sport.
Coventry has faced criticism in Zimbabwe in her capacity as sports minister since 2018, but defended her association with the government of controversial president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Governmental interference in football resulted in Fifa banning Zimbabwe from the international game in 2022, while last year the United States imposed sanctions on Mnangagwa and other senior officials for corruption and human rights abuses.
The presidential vote took place at a luxury hotel in a seaside resort about 60 miles south of Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games.
IOC members had to hand in their phones before a secret electronic ballot at about 14:30 GMT.
The campaign process restricted candidates to 15-minute presentations at a private event in January, with media barred and no scope for questions from members afterwards.
Endorsements by members were not allowed, nor was any criticism of rival candidates, meaning behind-the-scenes lobbying played an important role.—BBC
