Coventry voted first female IOC president

Former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry has been voted as the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee in the first round.

Coventry secured a surprise majority in the first round of a possible six of voting, in what was anticipated to be a close contest between the eventual winner and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.

The two-time Olympic champion and Zimbabwean politician is the first woman and African to hold the position.

The 41-year-old won gold in the 200 metres backstroke at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, out of a total of seven medals she won overall.

A majority of 49 out of the 97 IOC members eligible to vote selected Coventry to lead the organisation. She will now serve an eight-year term as president.

The current president of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, was also in the race but was expected to be a more popular choice as the rounds went on. He received only eight votes in the first round, to finish third behind Coventry and Samaranch Jr (28 votes).

Coventry said in her acceptance speech: "This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine year old girl, I never thought that I would be standing up here one day getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours.

"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've taken today."

Coventry was reported to be the choice candidate of the outgoing president Thomas Bach and has served as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe since September 2018.

She was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission and served from 2013 to 2021. She was then voted in as an individual IOC member in 2021.

Coe congratulated Coventry on her victory in a statement issued by World Athletics.

"As president of the number one Olympic sport, we look forward to working closely with Kirsty to ensure that sport remains the priority of the IOC, and athletes the driving force behind the new president's agenda," he said.

Bach will hand over the reins following his 12-year tenure on 24 June.