IOC (International Olympic Committee) has a new President – Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe! First ever female president and first candidate from Africa in the history of IOC!
20 March 2025, Costa Navarino (GRE) – IOC (International Olympic Committee) has a new President – Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe! First ever female president and first candidate from Africa in the history of IOC!
“At a time when our world is so divided, the Olympic Movement can help bridge gaps, build back trust and showcase the best of humanity”, she said.
EMCA congratulates the new IOC President and supports strongily her message of the importance that the Olympic and sport movement should play in the polarised and violent global political stage.
Regarding her past, Coventry went on to compete in five Olympic Games, winning seven medals, including two gold, making her Africa’s most decorated Olympian. But it was out of the pool where she made the biggest splash of all. On 20 March 2025, Coventry was elected the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece. At the age of 41, she became the first woman and first African chosen to lead the 131-year-old organisation.
Since its founding in 1894, the IOC had been headed by nine men – eight Europeans and one American. Coventry, only the second woman ever to run for the post, prevailed over six other candidates in the first round with 49 out of 97 votes. “It is a really powerful signal we are truly global and evolved into an organisation open to diversity,” she said.
Born on 16 September 1983 in Harare, Coventry learned to swim at age 2, taught by her mother and grandfather. She joined her first swimming club at 6 and quickly developed a competitive streak. Without indoor pools, she played other sports in winter, including field hockey, cross-country, and tennis, but swimming remained her passion.
Coventry’s big breakthrough came four years later in Athens, where she won three medals, including Zimbabwe’s first individual Olympic gold in the 200m backstroke. “Standing on the podium was quite surreal,” she said. “I was thinking back to when I was 9 years old. I was now nearly 21 and realised I had finally achieved my goal and my dream.”
Returning to Zimbabwe, she was met with a rapturous hero’s welcome, a powerful symbol at a time when the country was torn by internal strife. “Zimbabweans came out to thank me and say, ‘We’re so proud.’ It showed me how powerful sport can be to break down barriers and bring people together.”
It was a memory that shaped Coventry’s IOC presidential campaign, a message she shared in her presentation to members in January. “The transformative power of sport – that’s not just something I’ve said, but I’ve actually lived it and seen it. And I believe in it,” she said.
Statement by EMCA President Christina Tsiligkiri:
“The election of Kirsty Coventry as President of the International Olympic Committee marks a historic milestone not only for the Olympic Movement but for the entire global sports community. As the first woman and the first African to assume the IOC presidency, Coventry symbolizes the power of inclusion, progress, and hope.
Her personal journey – from the Olympic pools to the highest level of international sports leadership – is living proof that sport can transform lives, societies, and mindsets. EMCA firmly supports her vision of sport as a unifying force that bridges divides and strengthens social cohesion.
Having a woman in such a high-ranking leadership position sends a powerful message about the direction global sport must take: toward genuine equality, inclusion, and the recognition of women’s contributions at all levels. Kirsty Coventry’s election inspires and encourages new generations of women to actively pursue decision-making roles and stands as a beacon for all of us who believe in the transformative power of sport as a catalyst for social progress.”