Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry is aiming to become the first female and first African to lead the 130-year-old International Olympic Committee.
The 41-year-old former swimmer is the youngest among the seven candidates running to succeed Thomas Bach in the presidential election scheduled for March 20 at the 144th IOC Session in Greece.
On Monday, February 24, Coventry will be the first guest on “Let’s Talk to the IOC Presidential Candidates”, a series of Q&A sessions that offers a unique platform for the candidates to communicate their vision for the Olympic movement to sports journalists from different parts of the world.
The meeting, which is organised by AIPS and is exclusive to AIPS members, will be conducted by the AIPS President Gianni Merlo.
Coventry, Africa’s most-decorated Olympian with seven medals – including two golds – from five Olympic Games to her name, was first elected to the IOC as a member of the Athletes’ Commission in 2013, then as an individual member in 2021. She stated in her manifesto that she wants “to give back to the Movement that has given me so much and allowed me to be who I am today”.
She is currently serving on the IOC Executive Board and leading the IOC commissions monitoring the progress of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics and 2032 Brisbane Olympics. She has been Zimbabwe’s minister of sport, arts and recreation since September 2018.
“My mission to drive empowerment, strengthen engagement, and ensure we remain relevant, is guided by the Ubuntu philosophy: ‘I am because we are.’ This principle highlights the combined strength of the Olympic community and our responsibility to uplift one another,” Coventry wrote in her manifesto.
Register here to receive the “Let’s Talk to the IOC Presidential Candidates” meeting link. Simultaneous translation will be provided in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Click here to find out more about Kirsty Coventry’s candidature.
