{"id":2574,"date":"2025-03-21T14:07:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/?p=2574"},"modified":"2025-03-21T14:07:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:07:03","slug":"coventry-becomes-first-female-ioc-president-defeats-coe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/?p=2574","title":{"rendered":"Coventry Becomes First Female IOC President, Defeats Coe."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Friday 21, March 2025 {CBB} <\/strong>Kirsty Coventry hopes her election as the first female and African president of the International Olympic Committee \u2013 beating six male candidates including Britain\u2019s Lord Coe \u2013 sends a \u201cpowerful signal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a041-year-old former swimmer,\u00a0who won two Olympic gold medals, secured a majority of 49 of the 97 available votes in the first round of Thursday\u2019s election, while World Athletics boss Coe won just eight.<\/p>\n<p>Zimbabwe\u2019s sports minister Coventry will replace Thomas Bach \u2013 who has led the IOC since 2013 \u2013 on 23 June and be the youngest president in the organisation\u2019s 130-year history.<\/p>\n<p>Her first Olympics will be the Milan-Cortina Winter Games in February 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a really powerful signal. It\u2019s a signal that we\u2019re truly global and that we have evolved into an organisation that is truly open to diversity and we\u2019re going to continue walking that road in the next eight years,\u201d Coventry said.<\/p>\n<p>Runner-up Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr won 28 votes while France\u2019s David Lappartient and Japan\u2019s Morinari Watanabe earned four votes each. Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan and Sweden\u2019s Johan Eliasch both took two.<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1599381228913023\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_6_host\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_6\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?gdpr=0&amp;us_privacy=1---&amp;gpp_sid=-1&amp;client=ca-pub-1599381228913023&amp;output=html&amp;h=280&amp;adk=3335887252&amp;adf=3592617315&amp;pi=t.aa~a.2878201585~i.10~rp.4&amp;w=696&amp;abgtt=6&amp;fwrn=4&amp;fwrnh=100&amp;lmt=1742565746&amp;num_ads=1&amp;rafmt=1&amp;armr=3&amp;sem=mc&amp;pwprc=8351229868&amp;ad_type=text_image&amp;format=696x280&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiiraanweyn.net%2F2025%2F03%2F21%2Fcoventry-becomes-first-female-ioc-president-defeats-coe%2F&amp;fwr=0&amp;pra=3&amp;rh=174&amp;rw=696&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;wgl=1&amp;fa=27&amp;uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTAuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTM0LjAuNjk5OC44OSIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzNC4wLjY5OTguODkiXSxbIk5vdDpBLUJyYW5kIiwiMjQuMC4wLjAiXSxbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMzQuMC42OTk4Ljg5Il1dLDBd&amp;dt=1742565746437&amp;bpp=3&amp;bdt=1078&amp;idt=3&amp;shv=r20250319&amp;mjsv=m202503180101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3D047f31adfa20c313%3AT%3D1735894783%3ART%3D1742565520%3AS%3DALNI_MbZVZZEa0Dk5zrbb8NparG1xy4aYw&amp;gpic=UID%3D00000fc4a0092f43%3AT%3D1735894783%3ART%3D1742565520%3AS%3DALNI_MYMw1kQy1k2jXAbpPn5hPEaPuBDIQ&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3D13611222ae5bb97d%3AT%3D1735894783%3ART%3D1742565520%3AS%3DAA-AfjZGt6ILFKCXkTVvKT-q6vbj&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C728x90%2C728x90%2C1068x70&amp;nras=2&amp;correlator=581853333182&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=180&amp;u_his=1&amp;u_h=768&amp;u_w=1366&amp;u_ah=728&amp;u_aw=1366&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=1&amp;dmc=8&amp;adx=142&amp;ady=1762&amp;biw=1351&amp;bih=641&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=0&amp;eid=95355340%2C42532242%2C95352051%2C95353929&amp;oid=2&amp;pvsid=516129377384322&amp;tmod=56955997&amp;uas=0&amp;nvt=1&amp;ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiiraanweyn.net%2F&amp;fc=1408&amp;brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C641&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&amp;abl=NS&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;td=1&amp;tdf=2&amp;psd=W251bGwsW251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLCJkZXByZWNhdGVkX2thbm9uIl0sbnVsbCwzXQ..&amp;nt=1&amp;pgls=CAEaBTYuNy4y&amp;ifi=7&amp;uci=a!7&amp;btvi=2&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=492\" name=\"aswift_6\" width=\"696\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-google-container-id=\"a!7\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-google-query-id=\"CKuTy6Krm4wDFR9o9ggdaR4kHQ\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/div>\n<p>Coventry, who already sits on the IOC executive board and was said to be Bach\u2019s preferred candidate, is the 10th person to hold the highest office in sport and will be in post for at least the next eight years.<\/p>\n<p>Coventry has won seven of Zimbabwe\u2019s eight Olympic medals \u2013 including gold in the 200m backstroke at both the 2004 and 2008 Games.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamed of this moment,\u201d said Coventry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am particularly proud to be the first female IOC president, and also the first from Africa.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people. Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coventry described her election as an \u201cextraordinary moment\u201d during her acceptance speech, and promised to make IOC members proud of their choice.<\/p>\n<p>During her election campaign Coventry pledged to modernise, promote sustainability, embrace technology and empower athletes.<\/p>\n<p>She placed particular emphasis on protecting female sport, backing a blanket ban of transgender women from competing in female Olympic sport.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Coe congratulates Coventry<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While Coe was disappointed with finishing a distant third, he accepted defeat and refused to be drawn into interpreting the vote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have an athlete at the helm of the organisation,\u201d Coe said. \u201cWe talked about it together a few weeks ago and we both agreed it was really important, and I\u2019m very pleased for her. This is a very good result for the athletes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1599381228913023\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_7_host\"><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve congratulated her. She\u2019s got a huge job, but she will have the confidence of the athletes, and that\u2019s very important.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think what is pretty clear is that the athletes and the women members in particular supported her very strongly in the first round, and you know those things happen in elections.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The presidential vote took place at a luxury hotel in a seaside resort about 60 miles south of the Greek town of Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games.<\/p>\n<p>IOC members had to hand in their phones before a secret electronic ballot at about 14:30 GMT.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign process restricted candidates to 15-minute presentations at a private event in January, with media barred and no scope for questions from members afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>Endorsements by members were not allowed, nor was any criticism of rival candidates, meaning behind-the-scenes lobbying played an important role.<\/p>\n<p>British Olympic Association CEO Andy Anson congratulated Coventry, saying: \u201cWe know her well and look forward to working together to grow the Olympic movement\u2019s global relevance and commercial success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Russia hopes Coventry\u2019s victory will lead to its return from sporting exile. Russian athletes have not competed at the Olympics under their own flag since 2016, following the state-run doping scandal and then the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe look forward to a stronger, more independent, and more prosperous Olympic movement under a new leader, and to Russia returning to the Olympic podium,\u201d Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev, who is also head of the Russian Olympic Committee, wrote on his Telegram account.<\/p>\n<p>Coventry has faced criticism in Zimbabwe in her capacity as sports minister since 2018, but defended her association with the government of controversial president Emmerson Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n<p>Governmental interference in football resulted in Fifa banning Zimbabwe from the international game in 2022, while last year the United States imposed sanctions on Mnangagwa and other senior officials for corruption and human rights abuses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018Communication will be key\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Coventry pledged to work with her fellow election candidates, saying: \u201cWhat I want to focus on is bringing all the candidates together. There were so many good ideas and exchanges over the last six months.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d really like to leverage off of that and then really bring everyone back together and have a reset.<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1599381228913023\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_8_host\"><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI have some ideas, but a part of my campaign was listening to the IOC members and hearing what they have to say and hearing how we want to move together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the challenges posed by geopolitical issues, Coventry said: \u201cThe IOC and the Olympic movement have lasted so many generations because it brings people together and the diversity is a unifying way for us to connect with each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo right now in today\u2019s world, this is our biggest platform to showcase the good of humanity and to share our values as the Olympic movement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coventry said that \u201ccommunication will be key\u201d with US President Donald Trump, with fears his immigration policies could affect athletes\u2019 abilities to get visas before the 2028 LA Games.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have been dealing with, let\u2019s say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018A landmark moment for world sport\u2019 \u2013 analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a landmark moment for the IOC and for world sport.<\/p>\n<p>As the first woman to hold sport\u2019s most powerful role, Kirsty Coventry is a trailblazer. But as a member of its executive board, she is also an IOC insider.<\/p>\n<p>Coventry was seen as the preferred candidate of outgoing president Thomas Bach and her convincing victory after a low-key campaign will be seen as a reflection of his influence.<\/p>\n<p>IOC members were clearly untroubled by her close association with the controversial Zimbabwe government.<\/p>\n<p>Coventry will assume her new role in June at a critical time for the Olympic movement.<\/p>\n<p>She will have to deal with a tense geopolitical landscape, the potential reintegration of Russia, and US President Donald Trump before the 2028 LA Games.<\/p>\n<p>She will also have to tackle issues such as gender eligibility, climate change, and ensuring the Games remain relevant going forward.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, this is a rare setback for Lord Coe, who will be hugely disappointed to have been beaten so convincingly.<\/p>\n<p>On paper he was very well qualified for the role, but antagonised the IOC hierarchy with a surprise move to introduce cash for gold medals at last year\u2019s Paris Olympics and his tough stance with Russia.<\/p>\n<p>He was seen as a reform candidate and a disruptor \u2013 and in the final reckoning that seems to have cost him the role he said he had been preparing for all his life.<\/p>\n<p>Coventry\u2019s triumph is a groundbreaking moment. But it also suggests that the IOC is resistant to the change that Coe stood for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday 21, March 2025 {CBB} Kirsty Coventry hopes her election as the first female and African president of the International Olympic Committee \u2013 beating six male candidates including Britain\u2019s Lord Coe \u2013 sends a \u201cpowerful signal\u201d. The\u00a041-year-old former swimmer,\u00a0who won two Olympic gold medals, secured a majority of 49 of the 97 available votes in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2574"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574\/revisions\/2576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiobaayiyobakool.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}