Zimbabwean Olympian Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), becoming the first woman and the first African to hold the post in the IOC’s 131-year history.
Coventry, a decorated swimmer with multiple Olympic medals, won 49 of 97 votes at the IOC session in Greece, defeating candidates from Europe.
She pledged to emphasize diversity, inclusion, and gender balance within the Olympic movement. Observers expect her tenure to involve reforms in host city selection and increased representation of underrepresented regions.
For global sports coverage, her election is a landmark. For African media and sports communities, it’s a moment of pride and potential for deeper influence in global sport governance.