Five-time Zimbabwean Olympian Kirsty Coventry was unanimously elected to the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee. Coventry was also recently elected Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Coventry replaces outgoing Chair Angela Ruggiero.
Coventry was elected at the 132nd International Olympic Committee Session in Pyeongchang. 51 ballots were distributed and there were zero no votes. Coventry has been with IOC for six years as she was elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2012.
Coventry is regarded as the greatest swimmer from Africa, and one of the ten best female swimmers ever. She won seven gold medals in two Olympics and she competed in five total Games. She won the 200 back gold medal in 2004 and 2008, and also won silver in the 100 back in 2004 and 2008. She also won a silver in both IM finals in 2008. Coventry’s one bronze came from 2004 where she was third in the 200 IM.
Coventry is also one of the few swimmers to reach an Olympic final in the same race four times, where she made four straight finals in the 200 back from 2004-2016. As part of the Athletes’ Commission at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Coventry was giving out medals to some of her peers at the swimming medal ceremonies.
