The first African and female president of the International Olympic Committee is Kirsty Coventry.

Legendary Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry broke through the glass ceiling of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, becoming the first African and female president in the 130-year history of the organization.Legendary Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry broke through the glass ceiling of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, becoming the first African and female president in the 130-year history of the organization. Her appointment ushers in a new era for the IOC and represents advancement, inclusivity, and diversity in international sports leadership.A Monumental Win It is historic that Coventry was chosen to lead the most powerful sports organization in the world. She received 49 out of 97 votes in a secret ballot, giving her a resounding win in the first round of voting.

This overwhelmingly positive response showed how united the IOC is and how much faith members have in her leadership. Election Outcomes Kirsty Coventry received 49 votes, giving her an instant majority. 28 votes for Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. Coe Sebastian: 8 votes A small number of votes were won by other contenders, such as Morinari Watanabe (Japan), Johan Eliasch (Sweden), Prince Feisal (Jordan), and David Lappartient (France).