Coventry elected first female IOC President

Kirsty Coventry hopes her election as the first female and African President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - beating six male candidates including Britain’s Lord Coe - sends a ‘powerful signal.’

The 41-year-old former swimmer, who won two Olympic gold medals, secured a majority of 49 of the 97 available votes in the first round of Thursday’s election while World Athletics boss Coe won just eight.

Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister Coventry will replace Thomas Bach - who has led the IOC since 2013 - on 23 June and be the youngest President in the organisation’s 130-year history.

Her first Olympics will be the Milan-Cortina Winter Games in February 2026.

The runner-up Juan Antonio Samaranch (Jr.) won 28 votes while France’s David Lappartient and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe earned four votes each. Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan and Sweden’s Johan Eliasch both took two.

Coventry, who already sits on the IOC Executive Board and was said to be Bach’s preferred candidate, is the 10th person to hold the highest position in sport and will be in post for at least the next eight years.

Coventry has won seven of Zimbabwe’s eight Olympic medals - including gold in the 200m backstroke at both the 2004 and 2008 Games.

The presidential vote took place at a luxury hotel in a seaside resort about 60 miles south of the Greek town of Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games. (Agencies)