Outgoing IOC President Bach: Kirsty Coventry’s victory is “a strong signal of the unity of the Olympic Movement”

21Mar

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Outgoing IOC President Bach: Kirsty Coventry’s victory is “a strong signal of the unity of the Olympic Movement”

IOC President Bach reveals the winner of today’s IOC presidential election in Greece. Seven months after declaring that “new times are calling for new leaders” – while holding back tears, outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach has today (March 20) named his successor, following a vote by the IOC membership. In what was a historic moment for the Olympic Movement on 20 March in Costa Navarino, Greece, Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and African to be elected as leader of the world’s most powerful organisation. She won by a large margin in the first round of voting on Thursday to become the 10th IOC president in the 130-year history of the Olympic body, whose roots date back almost 3000 years. SIGNAL OF UNITY Speaking to the press immediately after...

Kirsty Coventry Makes Olympic History: Youth, Ubuntu, and a First-Round Knockout

Thomas Bach passes presidency to Kirsty Coventry, after being elected as the new IOC President on Day Two of the 144th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session on March 20, 2025 (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images) Kirsty Coventry, the first woman, African, and youngest of the candidates, has emerged victorious as the tenth President of the Olympic Committee. Some may argue this outcome was predictable, given that Thomas Bach had selected her as his successor. While Bach's endorsement played a pivotal role, something else must have influenced those who decided to place their bet on her in the first round of voting, an outcome that many of the most experienced Olympic commentators deemed impossible. Coventry secured 49 votes out of 97, followed by S...

Kirsty Coventry to launch “Let’s Talk to the IOC Presidential Candidates” series on 24 February

Graphics by Nordcap Studio; Photo by Getty Images Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry is aiming to become the first female and first African to lead the 130-year-old International Olympic Committee. The 41-year-old former swimmer is the youngest among the seven candidates running to succeed Thomas Bach in the presidential election scheduled for 20 March at the 144th IOC Session in Greece.On Monday, 24 February, Coventry will be the first guest on “Let’s Talk to the IOC Presidential Candidates”, a series of Q&A sessions that offers a unique platform for the candidates to communicate their vision for the Olympic movement to sports journalists from different parts of the world.The meeting, which is organised by AIPS and is exclusive to AIPS members, will be conducted by the AIPS President G...