The first female and first African president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, was inaugurated in the role on Monday.

The International Olympic Committee on Monday officially inaugurated Kirsty Coventry, 41, as the first female and African president. Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming for Zimbabwe,

Kirsty Coventry can remember the spot in her living room 33 years ago when, shortly after getting out of the pool and still wearing her swimsuit, she watched TV coverage of the Barcelona Olympics and a diver competing for her country of Zimbabwe.