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Kirsty Coventry broke down multiple barriers when she was elected March 20 as the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee — succeeding outgoing president Thomas Bach. Not only is she the youngest person (41 years old) and first woman to hold the position, but the former Zimbabwean Olympic swimmer also is the first African in that role.
Coventry’s election came following a process that Inside the Games compared to the conclave process that precedes the election of a new pope: “Both systems are designed to be highly confidential and secretive, increasing suspense, speculation and behind-the-scenes negotiations in a discreet and enclosed environment.”
In the end, though, Coventry was elected after only one round of secret voting by IOC members — winning 49 of a possible 97 votes. Pre-vote favorite Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., whose father was the IOC’s seventh president, from 1980 to 2001, came in second with 28 votes.
“With her decisive victory, Ms. Coventry vaults to the very top of global sports, into a position that requires diplomatic, financial and management acumen as well as sports knowledge,” notes The New York Times.
“Sport has the power to unite the world, and my goal is to ensure that the Olympic Games remain a symbol of hope, diversity and excellence,” Coventry, who currently is Zimbabwe’s sports minister, said in her first speech as IOC president-elect, according to Olympics news website sportsin.biz.
Coventry will face plenty of challenges once she takes office on June 24. The Guardian highlighted several major issues:
1. Protecting women’s rights: “Protecting the female category and female sports is paramount,” she says. “There is more and more scientific research. It is very clear that transgender women are more able in the female category and can take away opportunities that should be equal for women.” Coventry plans to create a task force to address this topic, stressing that there “needs to be a little more sensitivity” involved.
2. Russia: The Guardian reports that “there is no obvious path for the IOC to lift its suspension of Russia’s Olympic body while four regional sports councils in eastern Ukraine remain under Russian control. However, Coventry says she is against banning countries from the Games and has promised to set up another task force to look at ‘some guiding frameworks’ when it comes to Russia.
3. The 2036 Summer Games: According to The Guardian, “a key issue for the IOC is finding a host for the 2036 Olympics, which is being fought over by India, Qatar, Turkey and several other countries. One thing to watch is if Coventry sticks with Bach’s policy of allowing a ‘preferred bid’ to be fast-tracked into exclusive negotiations. If that happens, India will be seen as [the favorite]. Coventry is close to the influential IOC member Nita Ambani, whose family is the richest in Asia. There is no set timetable for a decision on 2036, but Coventry has hinted that she will involve IOC members more in the decision-making process.”
4. The climate crisis: “The climate crisis not only threatens the traditional slot for the Summer Games of July and August but also raises existential questions for the Winter Olympics. Coventry has called for greater flexibility, pointing to how the marathon in Tokyo 2020 was staged in Sapporo where it was cooler,” The Guardian notes. “Do not be surprised if a Games in India in 2036, and perhaps Saudi Arabia in 2040, are held in the autumn.”
5. Relevancy: Despite the success of the 2024 Paris Games, Coventry is expected to seek new top-tier sponsors, especially in countries such as India and Saudi Arabia, to help the Olympics maintain its relevancy (particularly among young people).
6. Esports: Esports and its role in the Olympics movement will be a priority for Coventry, too, according to Inside the Games. “Esports is growing rapidly, but we need to define our role and ensure our values remain intact,” she told the Olympics news website. “It is not about replacing traditional sport; it is about understanding how to connect with new generations.”
7. Relationships with Elected Officials: Reportedly high on Coventry’s to-do list is a meeting with Trump administration officials (including the president) to discuss the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles. Since taking office in January, Trump has announced several executive orders focused on border security, visa vetting procedures and undocumented immigrants.
According to Reuters, “several IOC members … who said they had long waits for U.S. visas expressed concerns over entry regulations for athletes travelling to the LA 2028 Olympics, asking U.S. Games organizers for clarifications, given Trump’s hardline border policies.”
“It will take sitting down and having a good conversation with him,” Coventry told Reuters, adding that she believed “sharing with him our values and where we want to be, how we want LA to be successful and being very clear on the different priorities (within the IOC).”
In another interview, Coventry was blunt: “I have been dealing with, let’s say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old. We will not waver from our values: solidarity and ensuring every athlete that qualifies for the Olympic Games has the possibility to attend the Olympic Games and be safe during the Olympic Games.”
The IOC’s presidential field included seven candidates, all men except for Coventry. In addition to Spain’s Samaranch Jr., the others were HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan), David Lappartient (France), Johan Eliasch (Great Britain), Lord Sebastian Coe (Great Britain) and Morinari Watanabe (Japan).
Coventry’s Olympic swimming accomplishments includes seven medals, and she holds a Bachelor of Human Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a minor in Business from Auburn University. Her professional roles include being a member of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee since 2013, former vice president of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee and an IOC athlete representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from 2012 to 2021.
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