Bodies: Kirsty Coventry will replace Thomas Bach as head of the International Olympic Committee on 23 June.
On Thursday afternoon, the election of the new President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took place in Costa Navarino, Greece. The 144th IOC Session held the election to appoint the successor to Germany’s Thomas Bach, the 1976 Olympic foil champion who has been at the head of the Olympic Movement since 2013.
Kirsty Coventry was elected as IOC President, over fellow presidential candidates HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Lord Sebastian Coe and Morinari Watanabe. pic.twitter.com/9S0F0z0PWm– IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 20, 2025
It was at around 4.25pm that the future ex-boss of the IOC took to the stage to announce the name of the lucky winner. For the first time in the history of modern Olympism, it was a woman who was elected, in the person of Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry.
Presented as Thomas Bach’s candidate, she had held various positions on the IOC since 2013. Twice Olympic swimming champion, Kirsty Coventry was elected in the first round for a term of office of eight years, renewable once for a further four years. She beat Prince Feisal Al Hussein, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Sebastian Coe and Morinari Watanabe.
“A glass ceiling has been broken”
On 23 June, the 41-year-old former swimmer will become the tenth President of the IOC, following in the footsteps of Dimitrios Vikelas (1894-1896), Pierre de Coubertin (1896-1925), Henri de Baillet-Latour (1925-1942), Sigfrid Edstroem (1946-1952), Avery Brundage (1952-1972), Michael Morris (1972-1980), Juan Antonio Samaranch (1980-2001), Jacques Rogge (2001-2013) and Thomas Bach (2013-2025).
“I am extremely honoured and delighted to be elected President of the International Olympic Committee! I would like to sincerely thank my colleagues for their trust and support, she told the Session. The young girl who started swimming in Zimbabwe so many years ago could never have dreamt of this moment.”
“I am particularly proud to be the first woman President of the IOC, as well as the first from Africa. I hope that this election will be a source of inspiration for many people. Today, a glass ceiling has been broken and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model, she continued. Sport has the unrivalled power to bring people together, to inspire and to create opportunities for all. I am committed to ensuring that we harness this power to the full. Together with the entire Olympic family, including athletes, supporters and sponsors, we will build on our strong foundations, embrace innovation and uphold the values of friendship, excellence and respect. The future of the Olympic Movement is bright. I can’t wait to get to work!”
