International Olympic Committee picks 1st woman, 1st African as new president

Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry beats out Japan's Morinari Watanabe, others for IOC leader

Kirsty Coventry after being elected as the new president of the International Olympic Committee in Pylos, Greece, on March 20. © Reuters

March 21, 2025 02:02 JST

PYLOS, Greece (Reuters) -- Kirsty Coventry smashed through the International Olympic Committee's glass ceiling on Thursday to become the organization's first female and first African president in its 130-year history.

The Zimbabwean swimming great, already a towering figure in Olympic circles, emerged victorious to replace Thomas Bach, securing the top job in world sport and ushering in a new era for the Games.