Kirsty Coventry Becomes IOC's First Female President

Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry was elected as the first woman and the first person from Africa to the post of International Olympic Committee president in March. She has now taken over from Thomas Bach of Germany.

Kirsty Coventry made sporting history by being elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its General Assembly on March 20, 2025. On Monday (June 23, 2025) she officially took over from outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach.

"In this spirit of gratitude, confidence and joy, I hand over the keys of Olympic House to Mrs Kirsty Coventry, the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee," Bach said as he handed over a key to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to Coventry.

The Zimbabwean thus became the first woman and the first person from Africa to hold the top job at the organization.

"Now she makes history," Bach added.

"I can't believe that in 1992 when I had the dream of going to the Olympic Games and winning a gold medal for Zimbabwe, that I'd be standing here with all of you, getting to make those dreams come true for more young people around the world," Coventry said in her speech, in which she also thanked Bach for keeping the IOC united during "some of the most turbulent times."

Back in March, Coventry surprised many by winning the job in just one round of voting, securing 49 of the 97 possible votes. Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior won 28, while World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe earned eight votes.

Coventry is the youngest president since Pierre de Coubertin, the founding father of the modern Olympic Games. The Frenchman founded the IOC in 1894 and took over the presidency two years later at the age of 33. Coventry, a former world-class swimmer from Zimbabwe , is 41.

Article is originally from DW Africa