Kirsty Coventry has made history by becoming the first woman president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This milestone was achieved during the 144th IOC session in Greece on 20 March where she was elected the president at the age of just 41. She earned 49 out of 97 votes in a highly competitive election against six other candidates. She also became the first African president of the IOC which is not only a personal achievement but also indicates the inclusion of diverse social groups in the IOC.
In her acceptance speech, she said, “I’m very proud to call myself a Zimbabwean and to have grown up there, for my mum to have been born there, my grandmother, And, [my message] to Africa: this is our time. 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,”
“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.” she added
She will officially take office on 23 June 2025, which interestingly enough is also International Olympic Day. She will serve an eight-year term and as she aims to begin her journey as an IOC president, let us take a look at her impeccable achievements.
Meet Kirsty Coventry: The Zimbabwean Swimming Sensation
Kirsty Coventry was born in 1983 on 16 September in Harare, Zimbabwe. She marked a remarkable career in swimming and became one of the most beloved African athletes and Olympians. She competed in the Olympics five times from 2000 to 2016, where she won a total of seven medals. She won two Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008 in the 200m backstroke category.
She also won four silver Olympic medals across various events and then a bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She has set five world records during her career, the first one being in 2008 as she broke a long-standing record in the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:06.39. She then set another world record in the same year in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:26.52. She also broke her own records multiple times in events like 100m backstroke, becoming one of the only three women to ever break the one-minute barrier.
That’s not it, her career was also marked by eight World Championships and several gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was appointed as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts, and Recreation for her outstanding contributions in 2018, after which she became an elected chairperson of the IOC Athlete’s Commission. She was truly a well-deserved candidate for becoming the IOC president, and as she starts a new chapter of her life, the world will forever remember her legacy in sports, and she will always be known as Zimbabwe’s Golden Girl.
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