IOC presidential election LIVE: Ex-swimmer Kirsty Coventry beats Seb Coe as historic results revealed

IOC presidential election

• Kirsty Coventry claims shock victory in first round to take presidency
• Former swimmer makes history as first woman and first African IOC president
• Coventry wins 49 of 97 first-round votes to clinch overall majority
• The 109 IOC members gathered in Costa Navarino, Greece to vote
• Seb Coe was among the frontrunners but finished a distant third
• Online smear campaign showed dark side to race for power

New president's challenges: The United States

The next Summer Games is in Los Angeles in 2028, in the final months of President Donald Trump's second term. As the host nation head of state, he should help formally open the games at a July 14 ceremony likely drawing the biggest global audience for any broadcast in 2028.

A challenge until then is protecting what the IOC calls Olympic values, including gender equality and universal inclusion.

American relations this year with long-time allies like Canada, Ukraine, Denmark and Germany has cast doubt on how much warmth there will be for the US as a welcoming host in 2028.

The government’s limited operational role for the Olympics includes security and border issues, including visas. A test of those plans will be the US co-hosting the men’s 2026 World Cup in with Canada and Mexico. Iran should be among the first teams to qualify next week.

The next IOC president will need nimble diplomatic skills, balanced with close ties to the Democratic-leaning local organising committee, city of LA and state of California.

Bach hails 'bright future' for Olympic movement

Incumbent president Thomas Bach said: “Congratulations to Kirsty Coventry on her election as the 10th IOC president. I warmly welcome the decision of the IOC members and look forward to strong cooperation, particularly during the transition period. There is 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.”

President-elect Coventry 'proud' to represent women and Africa

She adds: “Sport has an unmatched power to unite, inspire and create opportunities for all, and I am committed to making sure we harness that power to its fullest. Together with the entire Olympic family, including our athletes, fans and sponsors, we will build on our strong foundations, embrace innovation, and champion the values of friendship, excellence and respect.

“The future of the Olympic Movement is bright, and I can't wait to get started.”

President-elect Coventry 'proud' to represent women and Africa

"I am incredibly honoured and excited to be elected as president of the International Olympic Committee. I want to sincerely thank my fellow members for their trust and support.

“The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamt of this moment.

“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.”

Coe well beaten in one-and-only bid for IOC throne

This was Seb Coe’s only chance to claim the IOC presidency. He was already too old to run in this race, technically, although rules would have been bent for the 68-year-old had he been victorious. But he won’t be standing in eight or 12 years’ time.

The results show just how far away he was from victory, finishing a distant third behind the younger, more dynamic pick in Coventry and the establishment name of Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Coe is a popular figure in Britian and in athletics, but his outspoken approach on major issues, like Russian doping and even this very election for lacking transparency, made him a thorn in the IOC’s side. Ultimately he couldn’t command the support of senior figures in the organisation he was trying to rule, and that may have been what proved costly.

Official voting results are in

The results have now been published, and they reveal both how far Coventry was ahead of her rivals, and how she received exactly the 50 per cent + 1 votes required for victory.

Had she received just one fewer vote, the election would have gone to a second round. Though, given her dominant lead over the rest, she would have got over the line at some point.

Coventry won 49 votes of 97:

• Kirsty Coventry 49
• Juan Antonio Samaranch 28
• Lord Sebastian Coe 8
• David Lappartient 4
• Morinari Watanabe 4
• HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein 2
• Johan Eliasch 2

Kirsty Coventry wins IOC presidential election

Coventry has earned an eight-year term, with a possibly four-year renewal if the membership approve it. The IOC is all about longevity and stability, which is why there have only been nine presidents since 1984. Although some might argue there are dictatorish elements to the presidency that have led to some overstaying their welcome in the role.

Kirsty Coventry wins IOC presidential election

Coventry will formally take office in a ceremony at Olympic House on 23 June – Olympic Day.

Who is Kirsty Coventry?

Coventry is a former Zimbabwean swimmer who achieved stunning success in her career, and she remains the most decorated African Olympian of all time with eight medals.

At 41 she is significantly younger than most of her rival candidates in this election, and that relative youth combined with her role as chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission undoubtedly stood her in good stead to earn the votes of recently retired athletes like herself, of which there is an increasing pool among the IOC membership, like American sprinter Allyson Felix. All of the candidates cheered about “athlete empowerment” during their campaigns, but when it came from Coventry, the message carried real weight.

Coventry’s role as sports minister for controversial Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa brought some criticism, but clearly it did not derail her campaign.

Her campaign pitch was largely a continuation of the Bach era, and the incumbent president’s private support for her candidacy caused also stirred some controversy, given he was meant to remain neutral.

New IOC president Kirsty Coventry speaks

"This is not just a huge honour, but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, and I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision you’ve taken today.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and now we’ve got some work together. This race was an incredible race and it made us better, made us a stronger movement. Thank you very much for this moment, and thank you very much for this honour."

Kirsty Coventry wins IOC presidency

Thomas Bach announces the result: Kirsty Coventry is the new IOC president!

She makes history as the first woman and the first African president of the IOC.

Election decided in first round

We are now heading back to the Costa Navarino Greece, where we are expected to get the election result very shortly.

Has Kirsty Coventry made history?

If Kirsty Coventry has indeed won this election at the first time of asking, she will mark a major shift from the IOC’s historical leadership.

There have been nine IOC presidents since its inception in 1984, and eight of those have been greying European men. The exception was ex-decathlete Avery Brundage, elected in 1952 (a greying American man).

Coventry would become the first woman and the first African president of the IOC.

Election decided in first round

We continue to wait for the result to be confirmed – it is expected to be announced by president Thomas Bach in around 15 minutes’ time.

If you’re just joining, there has been a shock in Greece today, with one of the seven candidates winning an outright majority in the very first round. We were expecting a number of rounds and a tight contest, but that is not the case, and now we wait to see who has won this election.

Election decided in first round

My immediate thought is that this could be good news for Kirsty Coventry. She was most likely to strike early given her core base of voters was already formed – women, African members and Bach loyalists (Bach has privately backed Coventry to be his successor).

By contrast, SebCoe and JuanAntonioSamaranch were more likely to prosper in the later rounds, once the European voting bloc – split intially four ways between them, Eliasch and Lappartient – coalesced around one candidate as they were eliminated.

But in the murky world of the IOC, it is impossible to know how the cards have fallen here. We will have to wait and see...

Election decided in first round

Compliance officers are accompanying the current president, Thomas Bach, out of the room and the result will be scrutinised.

Once it is confirmed, Bach will return and announce his successor.

Breaking: Election decided in first round!

Wow – this is a shock. One of the seven candidates has won this election in the very first round, sweeping up more than 50 per cent of the total votes at the first time of asking.

“You have elected a new IOC president,” IOC director general Christophe De Kepper announces. “The session is now suspended.”

And we too are left in suspense...

IOC presidential election – live

IOC director general Christophe De Kepper is whipping through the many rules of this election.

He lists the members who cannot vote in the opening round, who are the members who share a nationality with one of the candidates. So, HRH Princess Anne and Sir Hugh Robertson cannot vote in the first round, because there are British candidates involved (Coe and Eliasch).

Members have an electronic device on their seat and will cast their first vote imminently. Although, for now our friend De Kepper is still talking in slow monotone...

IOC presidential election – live

The secret ballot is set to begin. We should get the first round of results shortly.

A reminder of the seven candidates, below. Coe, Samaranch and Coventry are considered the frontrunners, though Prince Feisal is also a popular character inside the IOC.

• Lord Coe (Britain), 68, president of World Athletics, the Olympics’ biggest sport

• Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (Spain), 65, an IOC vice-president whose father was the president from 1980 to 2001

• Morinari Watanabe (Japan), 66, president of the International Gymnastics Federation

• Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe), 41, decorated Olympic swimmer and minister for sport in Zimbabwe who serves on the IOC’s executive board

• Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan), 61, brother of the King of Jordan who serves on the IOC’s executive board

• David Lappartient (France), 51, president of World Cycling (UCI)

• Johan Eliasch (Britain), 63, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, the Winter Olympics’ biggest sport.

Election criticised for 'lack of transparency'

This election has been criticised by numerous high-profile figures for its lack of transparency, not least Seb Coe himself.

The election has been kept carefully under wraps with candidates allowed only tightly controlled 15-minute presentations to the membership in Lausanne last month, which were not broadcast publicly or followed up with questions from members. There have been no election debates and candidates have not been allowed to criticise each other’s campaign, while members are forbidden from public endorsements.

Coe said the process needs “more access to the members, more transparency. It has been difficult to engage and I don’t think those are the guiding principles of an election. An election is very important, in one big way, in that it gives people the opportunity to have a conversation. In future, this needs to be a more open and expansive process.”

IOC presidential election – live

Proceedings are set to get going very shortly. Here’s a look inside the room:

electronic devices telephones and laptops will not be permitted to IOC members and honorary members when they re-enter the electoral chamber, The vote is set to begin at 4.30 Greek time which is 2.30 British Summer Time. The room will be swept and the vote held "in camera. pic.twitter.com/U9hMEH90GT

— Philip Barker (@pbarkersport) March 20, 2025

IOC presidential election – live

No news yet coming out of Costa Navarino resort in Greece, where members are gearing up to begin voting. Here is how the voting works:

The 109 members will electronically cast a vote for their preferred candidate. All members must be physically present and no proxy voting is allowed.

The winning candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the votes for an overall majority. If a majority isn’t achieved in the first round of voting, then the candidate with the least number votes is eliminated, and six candidates go through to the sixth round where votes are recast. The process goes on until one candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the total votes in a given round.

The only members who cannot vote are compatriots of candidates in the process. So, for example, the other three French members of the IOC cannot until David Lappartient is eliminated for the process. However, the candidates themselves can, and do, vote for themselves. Honorary members cannot vote.

The winning candidate will serve an eight-year term, with a possible renewal of four years.

Belgium's Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant elected vice-president

Belgian businessman Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant has been elected as a new vice-president of the IOC. He was the only member to stand for the role.

There are currently four vice-presidents, though one of those – Juan Antonio Samaranch – is a candidate to become president today.

Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant, IOC Member in Belgium, has been elected IOC Vice President.

Out of 104 votes: 98 yes-votes, 3 no-votes and 3 abstentions. pic.twitter.com/XC4rDIPIlu

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 20, 2025

Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet made IOC member

Some bits of business before the main event.

Tony Estanguet, who led Paris 2024’s organising committee, has been made a member of the International Olympic Committee.

His compatriot David Lappartient is not expected to win today’s presidential election, so Estanguet’s nomination is likely to appease the French contingent somewhat.

Three-time Olympic champion and President of the #Paris2024 Organising Committee, @TonyEstanguet, has just been elected as an IOC Member at the 144th IOC Session.

He received 98 out of 101 votes. pic.twitter.com/IVT7a1M6Qv

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 20, 2025

Meet the candidates

OUTSIDE BET: Morinari Watanabe (Japan), 66, president of the International Gymnastics Federation.

The final candidate is Japan’s Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation and a rank outsider. Watanabe has come up with some radical ideas like hosting an Olympic Games on five continents simultaneously, and he has proposed restructuring the IOC as a House and Senate.

His boldness and originality has made an impact on some members, but Watanabe faces an uphill battle to become the first Asian president of the IOC, in part because it is primarily an Anglophone organisation, albeit he does speak some English.

Speaking to The Independent two weeks ago, one member was surprised that Watanabe had not yet phoned them to lobby for votes.

Meet the candidates

OUTSIDE BET: Johan Eliasch (Britain), 63, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, the Winter Olympics’ biggest sport.

Johan Eliasch is a Swedish-British businessman and environmentalist who heads up the Winter Olympics’ biggest sport, the Ski and Snowboard Federation. He has pitched hard on a platform of turning the Games green, suggesting the IOC should commit to conserving a rainforest the same size as each Olympic city.

Some members knew little about Eliasch before his candidacy and one was surprised he “bulldozed in” to the presidential election so soon after becoming a member last year. That is not seen as the “done thing” at the IOC, a conservative organisation where you wait your turn and earn your stripes, joining working groups and commissions to build your standing.

Meet the candidates

CONTENDER: David Lappartient (France), 51, president of World Cycling (UCI).

David Lappartient is the president of world cycling (the UCI), and the Frenchman is known as a hard-working “eager beaver” who members consider a safe pair of hands. He can expect some backing from central Europe and Francophone Africa, but his CV lacks the heft of Coe and their Spanish rival candidate with a famous name, Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Meet the candidates

CONTENDER: Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan), 61, brother of the King of Jordan, who serves on the IOC’s executive board.

Prince Feisal Bin al-Hussein, the only royalty on the ballot as the brother of King Abdullah of Jordan. Prince Feisal is the head of the Jordanian Olympic Committee and has become a major player at the IOC over the past decade after serving on a number of commissions and the executive board.

His universal popularity cannot be overstated. Everyone involved with the IOC speaks glowingly about Prince Feisal, who has charisma and natural leadership to go with a strong track record in sport. He is well known for his work as founder of Generations For Peace, an NGO which promotes tolerance in areas of conflict through sport and other community programmes, and it means his “sport for peace” pitch carries genuine meaning at a time of geopolitical tension in the world.

Online smear campaign shows election's dark side

In recent days, an online smear campaign has targeted two of the candidates in the running for election, spreading damaging and lurid claims of misdemeanour without evidence. It is unclear who is behind the campaign, which has revealed a darker side to this high-stakes election.

Separately, there have also been accusations of unfair play among the candidates, and even the incumbent president Thomas Bach has become embroiled, amid much talk that he has been lobbying for one of the candidates – Kirsty Coventry – in what would amount in many members eyes to foul play.

Bach ignored the question, when asked at a press conference earlier this week.

Meet the candidates

FRONTRUNNER: Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe), 41, decorated Olympic swimmer and minister for sport in Zimbabwe who serves on the IOC’s executive board .

Public endorsements are strictly forbidden but it is an open secret that Bach’s preferred successor would be the sole female candidate on the ballot, the former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry, Africa’s most decorated Olympian with eight medals.

Coe and Coventry are the only Olympians among the seven candidates, but Coventry is much younger at 41, and her relative youth combined with her recent role on the IOC Athletes’ Commission should give her the backing of the small but growing group of recently retired athletes in the membership, like American sprinter Allyson Felix. All of the candidates cheered about “athlete empowerment” during their campaigns, but when it came from Coventry, the message carried real weight.

The IOC has sought to redress the gender balance among its membership in recent years and the influx of women could play into Coventry’s hands as she seeks to become the first female president. Though if she needed evidence of just how hard that might prove to be then she need only look at the IOC’s own web page explaining this election, which already assumes the president will be a man based on the subheadline: “When will the new IOC President start his term?”

Meet the candidates

FRONTRUNNER: Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (Spain), 65, an IOC vice-president whose father was the president from 1980 to 2001.

Samaranch is a serious contender in this election and is widely respected among the membership. He has served on a raft of Olympic commissions and is a current IOC vice-president, and he is expected to have strong backing across Europe and the Americas. He is a smooth operator and multi-linguist, skilfully illustrated last month when the Spaniard flipped between English and French in his candidacy speech.

What stands as both a blessing and a curse is the legacy of his father, Juan Antonio Samaranch Snr,a godfather figure at the IOC who served as president between 1980 and 2001. His reign oversaw giant growth for the Olympic movement, but a damaging corruption scandal emerged on his watch and he embroiled himself in controversy with lavish spending.

While the Samaranch name still carries an undoubted gravitas in the Olympic world, one member questioned the optics of installing the seventh president’s son as the 10th president of the IOC. “It’s not a family company,” they joked.

Meet the candidates

FRONTRUNNER: Lord Coe (Britain), 68, president of World Athletics, the Olympics’ biggest sport.

Coe is a highly respected and influential player with a proven track record of winning major campaigns after masterminding London’s victory over Paris to host the 2012 Games. But in the corridors of the IOC’s headquarters he is a divisive figure. Coe has been openly critical on a range of issues, such as Russian sanctions, and his outspoken approach has often ruffled feathers, so much so that he is actively loathed by some senior IOC figures. Incumbent president Thomas Bach would rather Coe not win the race.

A disputed incident was Coe’s announcement last year that gold medalists in track and field events at the Paris 2024 Olympics would receive a $50,000 prize. The move caught the IOC off guard and left some figures furious that Coe was “playing solo”, even if he was entitled to do so. It is said that Coe has struck a notably open and receptive tone in discussions with members over recent weeks, as he bids to make up any lost ground. Coe has plenty of backers but he may need to win over some detractors if he is to claim the presidency.

How does the voting work?

The 109 members will electronically cast a vote for their preferred candidate. All members must be physically present and no proxy voting is allowed.

The winning candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the votes for an overall majority. If a majority isn’t achieved in the first round of voting, then the candidate with the least number votes is eliminated, and six candidates go through to the sixth round where votes are recast. The process goes on until one candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the total votes in a given round.

The only members who cannot vote are compatriots of candidates in the process. So, for example, the other three French members of the IOC cannot until David Lappartient is eliminated for the process. However, the candidates themselves can, and do, vote for themselves. Honorary members cannot vote.

The winning candidate will serve an eight-year term, with a possible renewal of four years.

Who gets to vote?

The 109 voters in the exclusive invited club of IOC members include royal family members, former lawmakers and diplomats, billionaires and business leaders, sports officials and Olympic athletes. There is even an Oscar-winning actress, Michelle Yeoh.

They will vote without hearing further presentations from the candidates in an election that should swing on a discreet network of friendships and alliances largely forged out of sight.

When is the vote?

The election to decide the next president of the IOC takes place this afternoon at the luxury Costa Navarino hotel resort in Greece.

Voting is set to begin at around 2pm GMT, with an outcome likely to be delivered at some time before 3pm, depending on how many rounds of voting are required.

IOC presidential election – live

The strongest candidates in a hard-to-call contest seem to be IOC vice president JuanAntonioSamaranch and a pair of two-time Olympic gold medalists, SebastianCoe and KirstyCoventry.

Also in the race are PrinceFeisalalHussein of Jordan and three presidents of sports governing bodies: JohanEliasch of skiing, cycling's DavidLappartient and MorinariWatanabe of gymnastics.

IOC presidential election – live

A new president of the IOC will be elected Thursday, just the 10th leader in its 131-year history after one of the most open Olympic elections in decades.

The winner will get an eight-year mandate with key issues including steering the Olympics on a smooth path in politics and sports toward the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles and picking a host for the 2036 edition. That could go to India or the Middle East for the first time.

Voting by about 100 eligible International Olympic Committee members is scheduled to start at 4 pm (2pm GMT). The result should be known within 30 minutes.

Seven IOC members are on the ballot chasing an absolute majority of votes for victory at a resort hotel near the site of Ancient Olympia.

IOC presidential election – live

Hello and welcome along to live coverage of the election for the next president of the International Olympic Committee. Who will succeed Thomas Bach as the most powerful figure in sport? We will find out soon enough.