Kirsty Coventry

Harare, Mar 20 (PL) The double gold medalist in summer games and head of sports in Zimbabwe, Kirsty Coventry made history today by becoming the first woman and athlete from Africa to take over the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Euphoria gripped this nation when the results of the first round of voting at the 144th IOC Session were announced, with Coventry's victory over favorites such as Spain's Juan Antonio Samarach and Great Britain's Sebastian Coe.

Aged 41, Zimbabwe's sports minister since 2018 was a starter in the swimming competitions in Athens 2004 at just 20 years old and repeated in Beijing 2008 in the 200m backstroke.

The new successor to Thomas Bach as of next June has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2013 and a member of its Athletes' Commission.

She is also the youngest to assume the IOC's top position after the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertein, founder of the summer meetings, who took office at the age of just 33.

In recent statements, Coventry reiterated his dream-hope that the African continent will ever host an Olympic Games.

The Herald and Chronicle, Zimbabwe's leading media outlets, described the national sports star's triumph as historic in breaking news headlines.