“Seismic”, “groundbreaking”, “landmark”. These are all words that have been used to describe Kirsty Coventry’s appointment as the next IOC President, after she swept to victory in the leadership election on 20 March 2025, winning more votes than the other six male candidates combined. The 41-year-old Zimbabwean will become the second youngest[1], first female and first African to hold the role in the IOC’s 130-year history.

“I hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people… Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model.”

(Kirsty Coventry, 20 March 2025)

The reaction of the global sports community to Ms Coventry’s election has largely been positive, with her rivals magnanimous in defeat. However, as outlined below, there are some commentators who point to the alleged airbrushing of political controversies, and others who say that her appointment will ensure a “continuation of the same” given that Ms Coventry is already on the IOC Executive Board[2] and was acknowledged as the favoured candidate of outgoing President Thomas Bach.

In this article I will examine:

• Why Ms Coventry’s electoral success has divided opinion in some quarters;
• The bases on which she campaigned, and how her manifesto differed to those of her rivals;
• The potential impact of her appointment on a practical level; and
• What Ms Coventry’s immediate challenges may be when she formally takes up the IOC Presidency in June.

Immediate reaction to Ms Coventry’s “landslide” victory

Only one round of voting was required for Ms Coventry, a five-time Olympic swimmer herself, to win the election outright. She secured more than 50% (49 votes of the total 97 votes), with Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (28 votes) and Lord Sebastian Coe (8 votes) second and third respectively. Whilst Ms Coventry was one of the favourites, the emphatic nature of the result did come as a surprise to many.

Few, if anyone, can deny that the appointment of a woman from Africa to the most senior executive position in international sport sends a positive message.  In the immediate aftermath of the election, Ms Coventry herself remarked that “it’s a really powerful signal; a signal that we’re truly global, and that we have evolved into an organisation that is truly open to diversity.”

Amongst those who have publicly praised Ms Coventry’s appointment have been:

• President of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Liz Dawson, who commented that “her fresh perspective and innovative approach will enhance the Olympic Movement and strengthen its global influence“.
• President of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, Andrew Liveris, who said that the vote was a “resounding proclamation of [Ms Coventry’s] leadership” and that she had “been incredibly positive, supportive and instrumental in promoting Brisbane 2032’s progress across the IOC movement and beyond”.
• The African Paralympic Committee, who stated: “her election to the highest office in the global sports community is a source of pride for Africa. As the continent’s first daughter and a former athlete, [she] symbolise[s] the resilience of African women, breaking barriers and inspiring generations across the continent and beyond”.

However, not everyone has been so effusive. Questions have been raised about to her connections to the Zimbabwean Government, a regime that remains under both UK and US sanctions. First, she reportedly accepted a $100,000 cash reward from former President Robert Mugabe for winning four medals (including Gold in the 200m backstroke) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And then, in September 2018, she accepted a governmental position as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation under current President Emmerson Mnangagwa[3].  The risk of being tarnished by association is a real one, but Ms Coventry has defended her connection with President Mnangagwa’s government, publicly stating:

“I don’t believe you can really create change if you don’t have a seat at the table… Having to navigate very sensitive issues has definitely given me extra ‘armour’ if I can put it that way for what [the IOC] will face in in the future, and we’re going to have to navigate difficult leaders that have different opinions on things.” 

Away from Zimbabwean politics, some have questioned Ms Coventry’s impact within IOC circles to date, particularly as a member of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission (which she chaired from 2018-2021). Indeed, notwithstanding that Ms Coventry has pledged to protect the female category (see below), former British swimmer Sharron Davies MBE took aim at her apparent passivity on this issue, stating “sadly for me Kirsty Coventry has… not spoken up before to protect female athletes coming behind her”.

Ms Coventry’s manifesto vs her rivals

Ms Coventry’s election manifesto, titled “Unleashing the Transformative Power of Sport” (with an accompanying strapline, “A Stronger, Sustainable, Relevant Olympic Movement”) emphasised challenging the status quo, embracing modernity, promoting sustainability and, in particular, protecting female sport.  Below are key elements she campaigned on:

• Empowering and protecting female athletes: Implementing stronger safeguards against gender-based violence and increased support for athlete mothers, including facilities like dedicated nursing rooms during the Games. On the complex issue of transgender participation, she advocated for policies that ensure fairness in women’s competitions based on current scientific research.
• Technological integration: Emphasis on the integration of new technologies, such as online streaming and artificial intelligence, to keep the Olympics relevant and accessible to a broader audience.
• Financial prioritisation: Reallocation of prize money to programmes that benefit a larger segment of the athlete community, focusing on access to training, health, and mental health support.
• Inclusive participation: Highlighting the importance of IOC neutrality, she opposes the exclusion of athletes from the Olympics due to their nationality.
• Embracing new regions: Expanding Olympic hosting regions, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. This would increase global engagement, create new revenue opportunities and make the Olympics more inclusive.

Unsurprisingly, there was a degree of overlap between most of the candidates’ campaigns on certain issues, with almost all highlighting environmental sustainability and recognising the challenges to hosting the Games in a changing climate. Nevertheless, each manifesto had its own particular focus or USP, as summarised below:

• Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (IOC Member and son of a former IOC President, 28 votes): Focused on strengthening the role of IOC members, ensuring sustainability, and maintaining political neutrality. He proposed extending the retirement age of IOC members, conducting operational reviews to optimise resources, and creating a $1 billion investment fund for the IOC’s sustainability.
• Lord Sebastian Coe (President of World Athletics, 8 votes): Proposed decentralising power within the IOC, leveraging the talents of its members, and enhancing the organisation’s efficiency. He also focused on sport as a powerful social tool and highlighted his extensive experience in athletics and sports administration.
• David Lappartient (Head of International Cycling Union and French NOC, 4 votes): Advocated for greater involvement of IOC members in decision-making processes and proposed achieving gender parity among the IOC membership by 2036. He also emphasised the need for the IOC to lead on sustainability and climate initiatives, arguing that it should tie financial support to international federations, at least in part, to their commitment to climate issues.
• Morinari Watanabe (President of International Gymnastic Federation, 4 votes): Offered unique ideas, such as hosting the Summer Games across five cities on five continents simultaneously to reduce the burden on host cities and provide continuous global coverage. He also proposed a bicameral governance system within the IOC to enhance decision-making processes.
• Prince Feisal al Hussein (President of Jordan Olympic Committee, 2 votes): His manifesto centred on modernising the Olympic movement through technology and innovation. He proposed integrating esports into the Olympic framework, utilising artificial intelligence to improve sports experiences, and engaging youth throughout the Olympic cycle.
• Johan Eliasch (President of International Ski Federation, 2 votes): The only candidate to broach the idea of a rotational Winter Games to address environmental concerns and ensure the event’s future viability. He offered the most “restrictive” proposal regarding the ring-fencing of women’s sport, proposing that only athletes born female should be permitted to compete in that category.

The likely impact of Ms Coventry’s election on a practical level

For all the talk of, to use Ms Coventry’s own phrase, “challenging the status quo”, a common thread in the media is that her success was built on positioning herself as a “continuity candidate”, rather than a “reformer”. She has fulfilled a number of IOC roles[4] (including being on the IOC Executive Board) since first becoming a member in 2013, and is therefore regarded as an “IOC insider”. Reuters journalist Karolos Grohmann suggested that Ms Coventry’s election ensures “smooth continuity for the IOC after Bach” as she has “towed the company line and is not expected to rock the IOC boat”.

That said, Ms Coventry should certainly enable the IOC to present itself as a progressive, diverse and “relevant” organisation. We know sport can have a unifying power, some of which can be intangible and difficult to measure, at least in the short term.

It obviously remains to be seen which elements of her manifesto she will prioritise (curating proposals can be much easier than implementation), but one area we might expect to see robust action concerns the protection of women’s sport.  As it stands, the IOC permits each international federation to set its own gender eligibility rules, which has led to a range of approaches as they try to navigate inclusion on one hand, and concerns regarding fairness and safety on the other. 

Ms Coventry has pledged to implement a ban on transgender athletes competing in the women’s category at the Olympics, stating in February 2025:

“I want to ensure that front and foremost, we protect (the) female category. I don’t believe that transgender female athletes should be competing at the Olympic Games [in female categories]”… I do believe everyone has the right to play sport, 100%, but when it comes to the Olympic Games … being a former female athlete and having two young girls, I want to ensure that category is protected.”

Although Ms Coventry has previously not been as outspoken on gender issues as the likes of Lord Coe[5], her position on transgender Olympic participation is an emphatic one, drawing on her own experiences as a former female athlete.  In the short-term, we know that she intends to set up a taskforce to address how best to protect women’s sport. Looking further ahead, it would not be surprising if the IOC decided to take some of the decision-making authority away from the international federations and implement tighter, more uniform, rules.

In terms of the impact on the continent of Africa, Michael Payne, the former IOC Director of Marketing, commented: “there is no doubt that the influence of Africa in world sport will grow because of [Ms Coventry’s] appointment.”  Historically, African nations have faced challenges in influencing Olympic policies, but Ms Coventry’s leadership could bring more attention to the continent’s needs and priorities, including the development of grassroots and youth programmes. One of her key manifesto points was expanding the Olympic hosting regions and her leadership could accelerate efforts to bring major sporting events (and ultimately, maybe even an Olympic Games) to her home continent, improving infrastructure and investment in African sports.

The immediate challenges

When Ms Coventry takes up her new role in June, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be just eight months away. The climate crisis has raised a number of existential questions for winter sports, as well as the need for greater flexibility around scheduling major events within the existing sporting calendar. Amongst other pressing items in her in-tray will be the selection of the host nation for the 2036 Summer Olympics (India, Qatar, Turkey, South Africa and others have all expressed interest) – specifically, how that process will work.

Perhaps her biggest immediate challenge of all will be one of diplomacy, given the complex and unpredictable geopolitical landscape she will be inheriting. It is virtually impossible to divorce sport and politics, regardless of Olympic ideals around neutrality, and the status of Russia and Belarus continues to loom large. Ms Coventry’s manifesto expressly referenced her opposition to banning any countries from the Games but, as it stands, only a handful of Russians will be competing as neutral athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Sean Ingle, writing in The Guardian, contemplated whether Russia’s reintegration into Olympic sport could be part of a potential peace deal with Ukraine.

And finally, of course, Ms Coventry will need to engage, and build a relationship with, President Donald Trump ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The US President has reportedly threatened permanent visa bans on trans athletes based on sex markers. When asked about the prospect of engaging with Trump, Ms Coventry said “I have been dealing with, let’s say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old… we will not waiver from our values”. 

Ms Coventry’s meteoric rise from swimmer to IOC President has been remarkable and is widely welcomed, but even bigger challenges lie ahead. 

[1] Pierre de Coubertin was 33 years old when he was appointed the second President of the IOC in 1896.

[2] Ms Coventry has been on the IOC Executive Board from 2018-2021 and 2023-present.

[3] Ms Coventry was re-appointed to the role in September 2023, following President Mnangagwa’s re-election.  Ahead of the 2023 election, Human Rights Watch found that “rights critical for Zimbabwe’s election, such as to freedom of expression, association, and assembly, [were] imperilled… the environment for a credible, free, and fair election has been grossly diminished.”

[4] The full roster of Ms Coventry’s IOC roles since 2013 are set out on page 2 of her manifesto, which include: IOC Executive Board Member (2018-2021, 2023-present), Chair of the Coordination Commission for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games (2021-present), Chair of the Games Optimisation Working Gorup (2022-present), and Chair of the Athlete Commission (2018-2021).

[5] Oliver Brown, ‘Lord Coe’s defeat by “Mugabe’s golden girl” proves IOC has no desire to change’ (The Telegraph, 21 March 2025): “[Lord Coe] has consistently argued that biology trumps gender, while accusing the IOC of caving in to “second-rate sociologists” in its pursuit of inclusion of all costs.”