Zimbabwe’s Olympic gold medalist and current Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture, Kirsty Coventry, has been shortlisted as one of the seven candidates for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). If elected, Coventry would make history as the first female and the first African to hold the prestigious position.
Coventry is competing against a distinguished group of candidates, including Britain’s two-time Olympic 1500m champion Lord Sebastian Coe, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samarach, Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan, Sweden’s Johan Eliasch, Japan’s Wanari Watanabe, and France’s David Lappartient. The election is scheduled for March next year, following the expiration of current IOC president Thomas Bach’s term.
As the youngest candidate on the shortlist, Coventry brings a unique perspective as a former athlete and champion. Her candidacy represents a significant step towards greater diversity in the leadership of the IOC, an organization traditionally dominated by European figures. Of the nine previous IOC presidents, eight have hailed from Europe, with one from the United States.
Coventry’s potential election would mark a groundbreaking moment for both women and the African continent in the world of international sports governance.