Kirsty Coventry, new president of the International Olympic Committee

Víctor García

March 20, 2025

Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (Zimbabwe, 41 years old) has been elected this Thursday as the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following secret ballot conducted by the IOC members during the 144th IOC Session, held from Wednesday to Friday in Costa Navarino, Greece. This is the first time a woman has presided over the world’s highest sports governing body.

The secret vote took place around 5:00 p.m. local time at the Greek resort The Westin, where access to the room -House of Events- was prohibited with mobile phones. Only one round was needed for Coventry to be elected. Although 97 IOC members voted, it is important to note that the total number of IOC members is 109. Thus, the 17 who did not vote in the first round would have participated if additional rounds had been needed to break a tie. Coventry won with 49 votes.

With this election, Coventry becomes the tenth president -first woman- of the IOC since the establishment of the Olympic governing body in 1894. The most recent president was Thomas Bach, who has held the position since September 2013 and is stepping down after completing an eight-year term, which was extended by an additional four years under IOC regulations.

Kirsty Coventry was one of seven candidates who ran in this election, alongside , Sebastian Coe (United Kingdom, 68 years old), David Lappartient (France, 51 years old), Morinari Watanabe (Japan, 66 years old), Johan Eliasch (born in Sweden but holding British nationality, 63 years old), Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan, 61 years old), and the Spanish candidate Juan Antonio Samaranch (65 years old).

THE RESULTS

Valid votes cast: 97
Kirsty Coventry: 49
Juan Antonio Samaranch: 28
Sebastian Coe: 8
David Lappartient: 4
Morinari Watanabe: 4
Prince Feisal Al Hussein: 2
Johan Eliasch: 2