CAPE TOWN, South Africa — In a historic move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has elected Kirsty Coventry as its next president, marking a significant milestone as she becomes the first woman and first African to hold this prestigious position. Coventry, a former Zimbabwean swimmer and Africa’s most decorated Olympian, will commence her eight-year term in June.
Coventry’s illustrious athletic career includes winning consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 200-meter backstroke in the 2004 and 2008 Games. She retired from professional swimming after participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics, boasting a total of seven Olympic medals, a record for the African continent. Following her retirement, Coventry became an IOC member in 2013, shortly after a contentious athlete election during the London 2012 Olympics where she filed a successful complaint.
In addition to her new role, Coventry is currently Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts, and Recreation. Her association with a government accused of political repression has drawn scrutiny. Both the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and its government.
Coventry was lauded by Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe, who awarded her a diplomatic passport and monetary rewards, during the peak of her swimming career. Despite being celebrated across racial lines in Zimbabwe, Coventry’s ministerial role under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has been controversial. Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s former vice president, has been criticized for continuing many of Mugabe’s adverse policies.
Appointed as a government minister at 34, Coventry’s appointment was unexpected, given her youthful age, limited political experience, and racial background. Reappointed after Zimbabwe’s 2023 contested elections, she hinted at her intention to resign from her ministerial role to focus on her responsibilities in Lausanne, Switzerland, the IOC’s headquarters.
Educated at an all-girls convent school in Harare and later at Auburn University in Alabama, Coventry was a rising star in swimming, making her Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympics while still in high school. Her performances in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 solidified her status as a trailblazing athlete.
From 2018 to 2021, Coventry served as the athlete representative on the IOC executive board, under then-president Thomas Bach. Some athlete groups felt dissatisfied with her alignment with Bach’s policies. Her capability as a sports leader in Zimbabwe has been questioned, especially with the country’s sports infrastructure challenges. Zimbabwe has been prohibited from hosting international soccer matches since 2020 due to inadequate stadium facilities.
Coinciding with Coventry’s first press conference as the future IOC president, the Zimbabwe men’s soccer team faced logistical challenges, playing a home World Cup qualifier in South Africa rather than Zimbabwe due to stadium issues. Previously banned from international soccer by FIFA for governmental meddling, Zimbabwe re-entered the international soccer scene in 2023.