logo
Coventry Becomes First Woman and First African to Lead IOC

Coventry Becomes First Woman and First African to Lead IOC

Asharq Al-Awsat20-03-2025

Kirsty Coventry smashed through the International Olympic Committee's glass ceiling on Thursday to become the organization's first female and first African president in its 130-year history.
The Zimbabwean swimming great, already a towering figure in Olympic circles, emerged victorious to replace Thomas Bach, securing the top job in world sport and ushering in a new era for the Games.
Coventry needed only one round of voting to clinch the race to succeed Bach, winning an immediate overall majority in the secret ballot with 49 of the available 97 votes, Reuters reported.
She beat Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. into second place, the Spaniard winning 28 votes. Britain's Sebastian Coe, considered one of the front runners in the days leading up to the vote, came third with eight votes.
The remaining votes went to Frenchman David Lappartient, Jordan's Prince Feisal, Swedish-born Johan Eliasch, and Japan's Morinari Watanabe.
"This is not just a huge honor but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organization with so much pride," a beaming Coventry told her fellow IOC members at the luxury seaside resort in Greece's southwestern Peloponnese which hosted the IOC Session.
"I will make all of you very, very proud, and hopefully extremely confident with the choice you've taken today, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
"Now we've got some work together and I'd like to thank the candidates -- this race was an incredible race and it made us better, it made us a stronger movement.
"I know from the conversations I've had with every single one of you how much stronger our movement is going to be."
The seven-times Olympic medalist joined the IOC's Athletes' Commission in 2012, and her election to the top job signals a new era for the IOC, with expectations that she will bring a fresh perspective to pressing issues such as athlete rights, the gender debate, and the sustainability of the Games.
A champion of sport development in Africa, Coventry has pledged to expand Olympic participation and ensure the Games remain relevant to younger generations.
She also inherits the complex task of navigating relations with global sports federations and sponsors while maintaining the IOC's financial stability, which has relied heavily on its multibillion-dollar broadcasting and sponsorship deals.
As she takes the helm, the global sporting community will be watching closely to see how she shapes the future of the world's biggest multi-sport organization.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Iran Threatens to Unveil Sensitive Israeli Nuclear Data
Iran Threatens to Unveil Sensitive Israeli Nuclear Data

Leaders

time4 hours ago

  • Leaders

Iran Threatens to Unveil Sensitive Israeli Nuclear Data

Iran has threatened to reveal sensitive data regarding Israel's nuclear program after seizing what it called a 'treasure trove' of classified documents, reported Reuters. On Sunday, the Iranian Intelligence Minister, Esmail Khatib, said that Tehran would soon release sensitive Israeli documents that would bolster Iran's strategic position and strengthen its offensive capabilities. Sensitive Data Speaking to Iran's state TV, Khatib said that these documents contain data related to Israel's nuclear facilities and its defensive capabilities, as well as to its relations with the US, Europe and other countries. This followed reports by Iran's state media on Saturday that Iranian intelligence agencies had seized a large trove of sensitive material from Israel. 'The transfer of this treasure trove was time-consuming and required security measures. Naturally, the transfer methods will remain confidential but the documents should be unveiled soon,' Khatib said, adding that 'talking of thousands of documents would be an understatement.' So far, Israel has not acknowledged the operation. According to Reuters, the operation might have links to a reported hacking on an Israeli nuclear facility last year. Nuclear Talks The announcement came as Iran and the US are engaging in talks to reach a new agreement on Tehran's nuclear program. The US President, Donald Trump, has repeatedly threatened of military action if negotiations failed. However, he blocked a planned Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites in April, favoring a negotiated deal. On the other hand, the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment, saying it was '100%' against Iran's interests. Restoring UN Sanctions Western nations accuse Iran of enriching uranium up to 60% purity – close to the 90% weapons-grade level. Later this week, Western countries will likely submit a proposal to the IAEA's Board of Governors to declare Iran noncompliant with the UN nuclear watchdog, according to the Associated Press (AP). This, in turn, could lead to triggering the so-called 'snapback' of UN sanctions on Tehran by one of the Western countries involved in the original 2015 nuclear deal. Short link : Post Views: 1

North Korea internet hit by a major outage, analyst says
North Korea internet hit by a major outage, analyst says

Al Arabiya

time2 days ago

  • Al Arabiya

North Korea internet hit by a major outage, analyst says

North Korea's internet is experiencing a major outage on Saturday, said a UK-based researcher, adding that the cause may be internal rather than a cyberattack. North Korea's main news websites and its Foreign Ministry internet site were inaccessible on Saturday morning, according to checks by Reuters. 'A major outage is currently occurring on North Korea's internet — affecting all routes whether they come in via China or Russia,' said Junade Ali, a UK-based researcher who monitors the North Korean internet. North Korea's entire internet infrastructure is not showing up on systems that can monitor internet activities, he said. 'Hard to say if this is intentional or accidental — but seems like this is internal rather than an attack,' he said. Officials at South Korea's police cyber terror response center, which monitors North Korea's cyber activities, could not be reached for comment.

Swiss National Bank Denies Currency Manipulation after Being Put on US Watch List
Swiss National Bank Denies Currency Manipulation after Being Put on US Watch List

Asharq Al-Awsat

time3 days ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Swiss National Bank Denies Currency Manipulation after Being Put on US Watch List

The Swiss National Bank does not engage in currency manipulation, the central bank said on Friday, after the United States added Switzerland to a list of countries being monitored for unfair currency and trade practices. "The SNB does not engage in any manipulation of the Swiss franc," the SNB said after the publication of the US Treasury Report on Thursday. "It does not seek to prevent adjustments in the balance of trade or to gain unfair competitive advantages for the Swiss economy," it added, according to Reuters. The SNB said it remained in contact with US authorities to explain Switzerland's economic situation and monetary policy, and would continue to use interest rates and forex market interventions to pursue its inflation target. The central bank declined to say whether further talks with the United States were planned, but said it acted in the interests of Switzerland, where it aims to keep annual price increases within a band of 0-2%. "Our monetary policy is geared towards the needs of Switzerland," the SNB said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store