Kirsty Coventry was on Thursday elected the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The 41-year-old was selected via a secret ballot of seven candidates at the 144th IOC Session being held in Costa Navarino, Greece, for a period of eight years.
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.
“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,” Bach said, congratulating her successor.