Coventry takes office as new IOC president, succeeds Bach

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe officially took office on Monday as the new President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), becoming both the first woman and the first African to lead the global sports body in its 130-year history.

Born in Harare in 1983, the former Olympic swimmer begins her eight-year term with a legacy already marked by both athletic and political accomplishments.

Coventry won gold medals in the women's 200-meter backstroke at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics and amassed a total of seven Olympic medals across five Games. After retiring in 2016, she transitioned into sports leadership and public service, serving as Zimbabwe's Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture since 2019.

She was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission in 2012, joined the IOC Executive Board in 2023, and chaired both the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games Coordination Commissions.

Outgoing President Thomas Bach, who led the IOC from 2013 to 2025, officially concluded his 12-year tenure on Monday. A former Olympic fencing champion, Bach championed wide-reaching reforms during his presidency, including Olympic Agenda 2020, a restructured bidding process, and increased autonomy and financial support for host cities. In recognition of his leadership, the IOC awarded him the honorary title of Lifetime Honorary President.