Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry elected to lead the International Olympic Committee
Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was elected president of the International Olympic Committee Thursday, becoming the Switzerland-based organization’s first woman and first African leader.
“This is an extraordinary moment,” Coventry said in brief remarks to the IOC session after the election. Seen as the choice of outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach, Coventry won in the first round of voting over six other IOC members.
Coventry, the youngest in the race at 41, was elected to an eight-year term but will be eligible to run for a second term of four years, meaning she could be the IOC president presiding over Utah’s 2034 Winter Games.
An Olympic champion swimmer, she competed in five Summer Games and serves as her country’s sports minister of sport, art and recreation. Coventry joined the IOC in 2013 as a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission.
She will become the 10th president of the IOC in June, when Bach’s term ends.
His 12-year tenure as leader was celebrated Wednesday with his election as “Honorary President for Life” by IOC members, a ceremonial position he’ll assume when his presidential term ends on June 23. Bach has served on the IOC for 34 years.
The leaders of Utah’s next Olympics didn’t have a favorite in the race, Fraser Bullock, the Utah organizing committee president and executive chair, has said, pledging “whoever it is, we’ll be 100% on board.”
Bullock said her election “represents a bight future for the Olympic movement and the unity it brings to our world.”
Before Thursday’s vote, IOC members heard from leaders of four of the next five Olympics starting with the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Utah’s 2034 Winter Games, however, provided a written report to the session.
Bullock said he was told a month ago there wouldn’t be time to make a presentation at the session. He said the report was a brief update on the newly formed organizing committee and would not be made public.
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Kirsty Coventry becomes first female president of International Olympic Committee
Kirsty Coventry, 41, of Zimbabwe becomes the first woman to lead the IOC. She is eligible to serve up to a 12-year term.Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Kirsty Coventry elected as first woman and first African to lead IOC
Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee.CBS News - 17h -
Kirsty Coventry elected IOC president and is first woman, first African to lead global Olympic body
Kirsty Coventry was elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday and became the first woman and first African to get perhaps the biggest job in world sports.NBC News - 18h -
Kirsty Coventry becomes first woman to lead International Olympic Committee
Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, saying it was an "extraordinary moment"."This is an ...Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Kirsty Coventry elected first woman president of Olympic movement
Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, declaring it to be an "extraordinary moment"."This is an ...Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Kirsty Coventry elected president of the International Olympic Committee
Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic CommitteeABC News - 17h -
Coventry the first woman elected as IOC pres.
Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the first woman and first African to hold the post.ESPN - 16h -
Coventry elected as IOC's first female president
Zimbabwe's sports minister Kirsty Coventry is elected as the new IOC president, becoming the first woman and first African to hold the role.Yahoo Sports - 17h -
Kirsty Coventry Is Elected President of International Olympic Committee
Ms. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion who has been Zimbabwe’s sports minister, faces urgent issues including the rights of transgender athletes and the challenges posed by the climate ...The New York Times - 16h
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