Sports administrator · Former athlete
Kirsty Coventry
Zimbabwe’s most decorated Olympian and the first woman and first African elected President of the International Olympic Committee.
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Life and work
The story behind the role.
Coventry learned to swim as a child in Harare and competed at five Olympic Games. Her international career made her one of Africa’s most successful Olympic athletes.
She moved from athlete representation into sports administration and public service. In 2025, she became the tenth President of the IOC.