Kirsty Coventry introduced to IOC staff, gets rousing welcome
By Sports Reporter
Former Zimbabwe sports minister and incoming International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry on Monday received a rousing welcome from IOC President Thomas Bach, Director General Christophe De Kepper and staff at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This follows her recent election to the lofty job in what will see the Zimbabwe Olympic icon lead the organisation for the next eight years.
Coventry was presented a bouquet of flowers by his predecessor Bach before she joined staff for a group picture on the symbolic staircase of Olympic House.
In her comments, Coventry said: “Wow. This is going to be etched in my memory for a long time. I am incredibly humbled to be here. I think as a nine-year-old girl, I did not think I’d ever be standing here getting the opportunity to give back to this Movement and to work with all of you to make sure that other nine-year-olds realise their dreams.”
“So I’m truly very excited about the next eight years and what that looks like for all of us. Part of my campaign was the Ubuntu philosophy of ‘I am because we are’, and that is very much going to be the foundation of everything we do.
“So I’m truly just grateful and honoured to be here and really looking forward to making other nine-year-olds’ dreams come true from around the world. So let’s do it. Thank you.”
Coventry’s first visit to Olympic House as President-elect comes ahead of an IOC Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, 9 April. This is part of the three-month transition from President Bach to President-elect Coventry.
Coventry is a double Olympic champion in swimming from Zimbabwe. She was elected as the 10th President of the IOC, and the first female President in IOC history, at the 144th IOC Session that was held in Costa Navarino, Greece, on 20 March 2025.
Until the official handover ceremony on Olympic Day, 23 June, Coventry will regularly visit Olympic House in Lausanne.
