Kirsty Coventry Becomes Second Youngest President of the IOC, Following Pierre de Coubertin

Two-time Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry, a 41-year-old from Zimbabwe, has become the second youngest president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Only the legendary Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, held this prestigious position at a younger age. He was elected as IOC president at the age of 33 back in 1896.

The election took place today, March 20, in Costa Navarino, a luxury resort in Greece. Coventry secured an absolute majority of votes in the first round, despite facing formidable opponents like Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.

Coventry has been a member of the IOC since 2013 and has also served in the Zimbabwean government since 2018.