Behind closed doors inside a resort in western Greece, International Olympic Committee members elected the first female president of the largest global sporting organization on Thursday. Kirsty Coventry will become the IOC’s 10th president after members from across the world cast their secret vote on the first ballot.
41-year-old becomes 1st African to lead global Olympic body
Behind closed doors inside a resort in western Greece, International Olympic Committee members elected the first female president of the largest global sporting organization on Thursday.
Kirsty Coventry will become the IOC’s 10th president after members from across the world cast their secret vote and tabbed the 41-year-old on the first ballot. She will replace outgoing president Thomas Bach, who’s held the job since 2013, in June.
Coventry was a seven-time medallist in the pool for Zimbabwe over five Olympic Games, most recently competing in Rio in 2016. She was twice an Olympic champion in the 200-metre backstroke.
In addition to being the first female president, she will be the second youngest to lead the organization and the first from Africa.
More to come.
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