World Athletics president Sebastian Coe congratulated Kirsty Coventry on becoming the 10th International Olympic Committee (IOC) President at the 144th IOC Session held in Costa Navarino, Greece.
Coe, who is leading the Manchester United’s stadium revamping project, also said that he wants to continue discussing his agendas with the Zimbabwean Olympic swimmer.
“Congratulations @KirstyCoventry on becoming the 10th President of the IOC. I hope we can continue our conversations about putting sport first and athletes at the heart of decision making,” Coe said on X.
She replaces Thomas Bach in the role who was first elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2021.
“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl I never thought I’d be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible Movement of ours,” President-elect Coventry told the Session in her acceptance speech.
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, with the Values at the core. And I will make all of you very, very proud, and hopefully extremely confident in the decision that you have taken today. Now we’ve got some work together. This race was an incredible race and it made us better, made us a stronger Movement.”
Coventry earned 49 votes in the first round, exactly the number required for a majority from the 97 votes cast.
She became the first woman and the first African to serve as IOC President.
The President-elect will take office after the handover from Bach on Olympic Day, 23 June. She will oversee the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 as her first Olympic Games.
