Costa Navarino, Greece, Mar 20 (EFE).- A trailblazer in sports, Olympic champion Kirsty Coventry shattered a century-old glass ceiling Thursday, becoming the first woman elected as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The 41-year-old Zimbabwean will succeed ’s Thomas Bach on June 24. She is also the first African to secure the top job in the world of sports.
Coventry won in the first round of voting, defeating six other candidates: Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch, Britain’s Sebastian Coe, Swedish-Briton Johan Eliasch, Jordan’s Feisal Al Hussein, Japan’s Morinori Watanabe, and ’s David Lappartient.
She is a five-time Olympian, having competed in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, winning seven medals, two of them gold.
She will be the 10th president of the IOC since its founding in 1894.
Her decisive victory in the first round in Costa Navarino signals a new chapter for the most influential sports body as she prepares to take over from Bach.
In her acceptance speech, Coventry said she was “incredibly honored and excited” to be elected as president of the IOC.
![[FILE] Swimmer Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe shows her gold medal after winning the 200-meter backstroke final today, August 16, 2008, at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing (China), as part of the XXIX Olympic Games Beijing 2008. EFE/FILE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO](https://i0.wp.com/efe.diariosergipano.net/wp-content/s/2025/03/rss-efe069038dfc84cedad97229fa9a720c2e6774348a5w.webp?fit=1920%2C1303&ssl=1)
“The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamt of this moment,” she said.
“I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC President, and also the first from Africa. I hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people. Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model.”
The outgoing president congratulated Kirsty Coventry on her election as the 10th IOC president.
![[FILE] Swimmer Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe warms up before swimming in the seventh heat of the 100-meter backstroke held today, July 25, 2005, as part of the World Swimming Championships in Montreal. EFE/FILE/PATRICK B. KRAEMER](https://i0.wp.com/efe.diariosergipano.net/wp-content/s/2025/03/rss-efe8b753dc0431a0c96f0fa88e707a2a4ac2e16be13w.webp?fit=1920%2C1678&ssl=1)
“I warmly welcome the decision of the IOC and look forward to strong cooperation, particularly during the transition period.”
He said there was “no doubt that the future for our Olympic movement is bright and that the values we stand for will continue to guide us through the years to come.” Bach’s 12-year tenure will officially end after June 23, 2025.
The president is elected by the IOC through a secret ballot for a term of eight years. EFE
![[FILE] Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry competes in the 200m backstroke final at the 2009 Rome World Championships, which concludes tomorrow, August 1, 2009. EFE/FILE/Ettore Ferrari](https://i0.wp.com/efe.diariosergipano.net/wp-content/s/2025/03/rss-efe94e0ef288e8a446fd5af06fdc3cef83a0aeb16adw.webp?fit=1920%2C1008&ssl=1)
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