Kirsty Coventry elected first female president of International Olympic Committee | More sports News

Kirsty Coventry (Image credit score: IOC Media)

NEW DELHI: Kirsty Coventry made historical past on Thursday by changing into the first lady and the first African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), calling it an “extraordinary moment.”
At 41, the two-time Olympic swimming champion can be the youngest particular person ever elected to steer probably the most influential physique in sports governance.

She succeeds Thomas Bach, who steps down after 12 years, and emphasised her dedication to working alongside the six different high-profile candidates she defeated within the election.

“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl, I never thought that I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Coventry mentioned.

“This is not just a huge honour, but it is a reminder to every single one of you that I will lead this organization with so much pride, with the values at the core, and I will make all of you very, very proud and, I hope, extremely confident in the decision you’ve taken today.
“Thank you from the underside of my coronary heart.”

Coventry, widely believed to be Bach’s preferred successor, was seen as a strong contender in a closely fought race against IOC veteran Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.

However, in a surprising outcome, the contest was decided in the first round of voting, with a majority of the 100-plus IOC members placing their trust in Coventry to navigate the significant challenges ahead.