Female and First African IOC Chair Coventry... Ban Ki-moon Appointed Honorary Member (Comprehensive)

A 41-year-old woman from Zimbabwe, Kirsty Coventry, has been elected as the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Kirsty Coventry elected as the new IOC President. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to the IOC on the 20th (local time), Coventry was elected as the 10th IOC President at the 144th IOC Session held in Costa Navarino, Greece. She is the first female president and the first African-born president in IOC history.

Although there were predictions that it would be difficult to break through the male-dominated European-centric IOC, she secured a majority in the first round of voting in this election, which recorded the highest competition rate ever, defeating the other six male candidates at once. The British daily The Guardian evaluated, "Kirsty Coventry is the first African to become IOC President and has become the most influential woman in world sports."

At a press conference after her election, she said, "This is a very powerful signal," adding, "It shows that we are truly globalizing and evolving towards embracing diversity. We will continue on that path for the next eight years."

Coventry’s official term as the new president, starting on June 24, will be eight years, with the possibility of a single four-year extension, allowing her to serve up to 12 years. She said, "I plan to have a handover period with President Thomas Bach," adding, "There have been excellent ideas and discussions over the past six months. The goal is to actively utilize these and reunite all candidates."

She also stated, "The Olympics should be a place of harmony and inclusion," and said, "The reason the IOC and the Olympic movement have lasted for so many years is that people could come together through the Olympics. Diversity is a powerful element that connects us."

She continued, "In today’s divided world, the Olympics is the greatest platform to showcase humanity’s good values," adding, "Just as the 2024 Paris Olympics became an opportunity to build consensus and mutual understanding, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics will also play such roles."

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was appointed as an honorary member of the IOC on the same day. The IOC announced that Ban and former ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) President Francesco Ricci Bitti were elected as honorary members of the IOC. The IOC appoints distinguished individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Olympic movement as honorary members. Ban served as the first Korean UN Secretary-General from 2007 to 2016. In 2017, he was elected as the Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission.