Kirsty Coventry reacts after she was elected president of the International Olympic Committee (REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki)PYLOS, Greece – Kirsty Coventry smashed through the International Olympic Committee’s glass ceiling on Thursday to become the organisation’s first female and first African president in its 130-year history.The 41-year-old 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.“It’s a really powerful signal,” she smiled as the victory sunk in.
“It’s a signal that we’re truly global and that we have evolved into an organisation that is truly open to diversity and we’re going to continue.”Coventry needed only one round of voting to clinch the race to succeed Bach, winning an immediate overall majority in the secret ballot with 49 of the available 97 votes.She beat Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.
into second place, the Spaniard winning 28 votes. Britain’s Sebastian Coe, considered one of the front runners in the days leading up to the vote, came third with eight votes.The remaining votes went to Frenchman David Lappartient, Jordan’s Prince Feisal, Swedish-born Johan Eliasch, and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe.
“This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride,” a beaming Coventry told her fellow IOC members.
