Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the first female President of the International Olympic Committee.
The 41-year-old Double Olympian swimmer from Zimbabwe is also the youngest president to be elected.
The result was announced by outgoing President Thomas Bach shortly after 3-30 pm this afternoon.
“I am incredibly honoured and excited to be elected as President of the International Olympic Committee! I want to sincerely thank my fellow members for their trust and support.”
“The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamt of this moment.”
“I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC President and also the first from Africa. I hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people. Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model.”
“Sport has an unmatched power to unite, inspire and create opportunities for all, and I am committed to making sure we harness that power to its fullest. Together with the entire Olympic family, including our athletes, fans and sponsors, we will build on our strong foundations, embrace innovation, and champion the values of friendship, excellence and respect. The future of the Olympic Movement is bright, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Coventry was elected after a single round of voting in which she gained a simple majority of the votes casr.
She was chosen over fellow presidential candidates HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Lord Sebastian Coe and Morinari Watanabe.
Further Reading for Sport for Business Members: IOC Presidential Election Today
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
This is one of the most potent non-political positions of influence in the modern world. Sport’s impact has never been more significant, and so have the pressures on it from all sides. Coventry’s election is a passing of the baton to a new generation. She was not yet born when the Olympic boycotts of 1976 and 1980 threatened the relevance of the Games. We wish her well in her endeavours to make the Olympic movement as positive a force for good as it can be.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The next major Olympic Games will be in Milan Cortina in Italy in less than one year’s time.
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