Kirsty Coventry elected president of International Olympic Committee, first female president in IOC history

She succeeds Thomas Bach, who steps down after 12 years.

Kirsty Coventry was elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, securing victory in a high-stakes vote at a luxury seaside resort in Greece’s southwestern Peloponnese.

The Zimbabwean needed only one round of voting to clinch the race to succeed Thomas Bach, winning an immediate overall majority in the secret ballot to take the helm of the world's wealthiest multi-sport organisation.

Coventry beat Britain’s Sebastian Coe, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., Frenchman David Lappartient, Jordan’s Prince Feisal, Swedish-born Johan Eliasch, and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe in the election that had been expected to be a far closer-run affair.

Kirsty Coventry delivers her acceptance speech after being elected as the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee, and the first female President in IOC history. pic.twitter.com/3BXf9kK0dI

IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 20, 2025

As the new IOC president, Coventry will now be tasked with steering the Olympic Movement into a new era, overseeing future Games and addressing key challenges such as rising costs, geopolitical tensions, and the evolving landscape of global sports governance.