For the first time in history, a woman has been elected as the head of the IOC.

At the meeting of the International Olympic Committee, a new president was elected - Kirsty Coventry. She is the first woman to head the IOC. Coventry received over 50% of the votes in the first round of elections, defeating six candidates, including the son of the former head of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch and the current president of the athletics federation Sebastian Coe.

Who is Kirsty Coventry?

• Coventry is a 41-year-old sports figure from Zimbabwe, a former swimmer;
• As an athlete, she became a 7-Time Olympic medalist and an 8-time medalist at world championships;
• Since 2019, she has been the Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts, and Recreation in Zimbabwe;
• Since 2012, she has been a member of the International Olympic Committee, and since 2023, she has been a member of the Executive Committee of the organization.

Coventry will replace Thomas Bach and become the head of the IOC starting in 2025. Additionally, at the IOC meeting, it was decided to appoint Bach as the honorary president of the organization.

In response to a question about Bach's meeting with Russian skier Varvara Prokhorova, the IOC stated that any neutral athlete should be treated the same as any other athlete.

Varvara Prokhorova confirmed the meeting with Bach and reported that she was invited to Elbrus.