Kirsty Coventry has made history by becoming the first woman and first African to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Coventry assumed office on June 23, 2025, replacing outgoing president Thomas Bach of Germany,

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

Coventry detailed her vision for an IOC presidency — one of if not the most powerful in global sport — in her candidate manifesto published last December (soon after she gave birth to her second daughter, Lily). She wrote that she was guided by the collaborative Ubuntu philosophy: I am because we are.