Kirsty Coventry elected first female president of IOC as Coe routed in vote
Mar 20, 2025
Zimbabwean former swimmer won majority in first roundSebastian Coe is third; Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr secondThe former Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry has become the first woman to lead the International Olympic Committee in its 131-year history, after a shock first-round win over a seven
-strong field that included Britain’s Sebastian Coe.The 41-year-old Coventry won 49 of the 97 votes of the IOC membership, giving her an immediate majority and also making her the first African to become IOC president and the most powerful woman in global sport. Continue reading... ...read more read less