Zimbabwean swimming legend Kirsty Coventry made history on Thursday, when she became both the first woman and first African ever elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
At 41-years-old, Coventry will also be the youngest president in the organization’s 131-year history and the 10th individual to ever hold the office.
“As an nine-year-old girl, I never thought I would be standing up here one day getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” the five-time Olympian said in her remarks.
An extensive Olympic resume, in and out of the pool
The Auburn University grad and seven-time Olympic medal-winner — including back-to-back golds in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games — retired from competition after the 2016 Rio Olympics.
At that time, Coventry was already three years into her IOC membership, after initially joining as part of the governing body’s Athletes’ Commission. She joined the Executive Committee in 2023.
“I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision you have taken,” Coventry said to her fellow members in her acceptance speech. “Now we have got some work…
