Kirsty Coventry was elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on March 20, 2025, during the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece.
She secured 49 out of 97 votes in the first round, achieving the majority needed to win. This historic election makes her the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC in its 131-year history, as well as the youngest president since Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics.
At 41, Coventry will begin her eight-year term on June 23, 2025, succeeding Thomas Bach, who served the maximum 12 years.
Coventry, a Zimbabwean, is a celebrated former swimmer with seven Olympic medals—two gold, four silver, and one bronze—earned across five Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016, making her Africa’s most decorated Olympian. She won gold in the 200m backstroke at both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games.
Beyond her athletic achievements, she has served as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts, and Recreation since 2018 and has been an IOC member since 2013, including roles such as Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
Her election has been widely celebrated as a breakthrough for diversity in global sports leadership, with Coventry herself noting it as a “powerful signal” of the IOC’s commitment to inclusivity.
She has pledged to prioritize athlete welfare, protect women’s sports, and navigate challenges like engaging with political leaders—such as U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games—while emphasizing communication as key to upholding Olympic values. Her first major event as president will be the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
