Kirsty Coventry chose the IOC president, becoming the first woman and the first African to lead the Olympic body

Kirsty Coventry was elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday and became the first woman and the first African to get the biggest job in world sports.

“It is a signal that we are really global,” said the Sports of Zimbabwe and a two-bedroom Olympic swimming gold medle.

Her a stunning victory of the first round in the competition with seven candidates after the vote of 97 members of the IC were.

The eight-year term receives in 2033 at the age of only 41 – youthful historical IOC standards.

It was the most opinion and more dough Iok Presidential elections in decades with Coventry who is expected to lead the first round of short absolute majority. Although several rounds of votes have been predicted multiple, it has received an accurate majority of 49 required.

The victory of Coventry was also a victory for the Outgoing President of the IC Thomas Bach, which was seen as a promotion as its successor for a long time. He did not use his right to vote.

“The young girl who started swimming first in Zimbabwe all those years could not dream of all those years,” Coventry said in her acceptance speech.

“I am especially proud to be the first IOC president and the first from Africa,” she added. “I hope that this voice will be the inspiration to many people. The glass ceilings are shattered today and I am completely aware of my responsibilities as a model.”

“I’ll make you all very, very proud and hopefully certainly safe in the decision you took. Now we have some work together,” she said.

A walk to the podium, she congratulated and kissed on both cheeks Juan Antonio Samaranch, he expected her closest rival that he received 28 votes.

Also in the race were four presidents of sports bodies: trace and field of Sebastian CoE, ski Johan Eliasch, cycling David Lappartient and Gymnastics’ Morinari Watanabe. He also ran Prince Feisal Al Hussein from Jordan.

Coventry will formally replace their mentor of Bach 23. June – Official Olympic day – like 10. Iok President in his 131-year history. Bach reached a maximum of 12 years in the office.

“We celebrate Kirsty’s elections as President IOC and eagerly envisions cooperation with her while she makes the Olympic movement in the future,” said the American Olympic Committee in the statement. “As an Olympic and Dedicated Article IC, a strong commitment to the progress of global sports and the transformative decade of the Olympic and Paralympic Sports in the United States. We will provide the stability and support necessary to achieve our common goals.”

Challenges that are ahead for the Olympics

Key Challenges for the 21-year-old Faculty of the Auburn will manage the Olympic movement through political and sporting issues towards 2028 Summer Games in Los Angelesincluding involvement in diplomacy with US President Donald Trump.

Coventry’s IOC will also need to find hosts for summer games 2036. That could go to India or in the Middle East.

The strongest candidates in a five-month campaign with a tightly controlled rules that made Pach IoC did that they were Coventry – who recently gave birth to their second child – Vice Vice President IOC Samarach and CoE.

Manifest Coventry offered mainly continuity from Bach with little new details, while rivals had specifics to use the Olympic athletes, which was recently 2016 in Rio de Janeiru.

Coventry in her manifesto would write to “continued to give (athletes”) mental health, physical recovery and strengthen their holistic well-being to help them progress in their athletic career and beyond. ”

Coe World Athletics breached the Olympic taboo by paying $ 50,000 for monitoring and field gold medals in Paris last year. Samaranch promised to relax the strict IC commercial rules and give athletes to control over the shots of their Olympic performances.

Samaranch tried to follow his father, also Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was the seventh IOC president from 1980. until 2001. years.

Coe aimed at an extraordinary career of the Olympic triumph: a two-sided Olympic gold medal at 1,500 meters, London’s Team for 2012. year, and then worked in the former teams in the heads that have stated the organized team. There are only eight votes.

It was a starry week for Bach, who greeted Coventry and shared warm smiles after her acceptance speech.

Bach was extinct on Wednesday in the emotional beginning at the IIK annual meeting, gaining sumptuous praise and titles of an honorary president for life. He repeated his desire to offer advice to the next president.

His practical presidency in style will receive a financially secure IOC, on his way to earn more than 8 billion dollars in 2028 LA Olympics, and with forest hosts through 2034. Year: in Italy, when winter games return to Salt Lake City.

The Bach signature policy was also gender parity, with equal quotas of Men and women in the Olympics of Paris 2024. year and giving a better state of the IOC members and the Executive Board who now has seven women among their 15 members, including Coventry.

Her victory on Thursday will only add in Bach’s legacy to promote women.

Coventry won the headlines back to Backstroke in 200 meters at the Olympics of Athens and Beijing later. She joined IOC in 2013. year, almost a year after the disputed selection of athletes at London Olympics. Her place among four elected athlete was eventually assigned after the Arbitration of the Court for Sports Judgments against two opponents.

The following president can monitor the IOC choice of statement for his host for the summer Games in 2036. years.

“There is only one and one,” Samarach said on Wednesday to the question about the challenges ahead. “We need to concentrate (on) successful and relevant Olympics. The rest comes with success in games.”

Voters in the exclusive invited club members include members of the Royal Family, former legislators and diplomats, business leaders, sports official services and the Olympic athletes. Even an Oscar-winning actress, Michelle Yeoh.

Members voted without further presentation of candidates in the elections that swung on the discrete network of friendships and the federation largely counterfeit from sight.