Latest news with #IOCSession
Dubai Eye
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Coventry elected first female IOC president
Kirsty Coventry smashed through the International Olympic Committee's glass ceiling on Thursday to become the organisation'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. "It's a really powerful signal," she smiled as the victory sunk in. "It's a signal that we're truly global and that we have evolved into an organisation that is truly open to diversity and we're going to continue." 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. 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 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," 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," she added. Coventry said she wants to bring all the candidates together. "I'm going to sit down with President Bach. We're going to have a few months for a handover takeover. And what I want to focus on is bringing all the candidates together. There were so many good ideas and exchanges over the last six months. "Look at the IOC and our Olympic movement and family and decide how exactly we're going to move forward in the future. What is it that we want to focus on in the first six months? I have some ideas, but a part of my campaign was listening to the IOC members and hearing what they have to say and hearing how we want to move together." SHOW OF UNITY Coventry's first-round landslide was a show of unity in the body, she said. "It's extremely important we have to be a united front and we have to work together. We don't and we might not always agree, but we have to be able to come together for the betterment of the movement." The seven-times Olympic medallist was added to 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 Coventry shapes the future of the world's biggest multi-sport organisation.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kirsty Coventry becomes first woman, African elected as IOC president
March 20 (UPI) -- International Olympic Committee members elected Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry as president, replacing Thomas Bach, the committee announced Thursday. Coventry will be the first woman and African to hold the role. Voting took place at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece. Coventry, a five-time Olympian, won seven medals, including two gold and four silver, during her swimming career. She is the most decorated Olympian from Africa. She went on to hold several roles with the Zimbabwe government, World Anti-Doping Agency, International Surfing Federation and World Aquatics, and served as vice president of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee. She also was a member of the IOC executive board. "I am incredibly honored and excited to be elected as president of the International Olympic Committee," Coventry said. "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." Prince Feisal Al Hussein, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Lord Sebastian Coe and Morinari Watanabe were the other candidates vying to become the IOC's 10th president. Coventry received 49 of a possible 97 votes. Samaranch finished second with 28 votes. "I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC President, and also the first from Africa," Conventry said. "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." Bach was first elected in 2013 and re-elected for a four-year term in 2021. He announced last month that he would not seek to extend his tenure. Bach, 71, will continue in his role until June 23. Coventry, 41, will then start an initial eight-year tenure. "Congratulations to Kirsty Coventry on her election as the 10th IOC president," Bach said. "I warmly welcome the decision of the IOC members and look forward to strong cooperation, particularly during the transition period. "There is no doubt that the future for our Olympic movement is bright and that the values we stand for will continue to guide us through the years to come."
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Sebastian Coe defeated by Kirsty Coventry in his bid to become IOC president
Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sebastian Coe's bid to become president of the International Olympic Committee has ended in defeat, with Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe winning the vote. Coe, 68, had said occupying the Olympic Movement's highest office was a role he had been 'training for for the best part of his life', but a majority of IOC members instead gave their backing to Coventry in the first round of voting. The 41-year-old becomes the first woman and first African in the post. Coventry's victory at the IOC Session in Greece was announced by current president Thomas Bach, who will officially hand over the reins on June 24.
