Olympic contest to pick IOC president is quirky and controlled by tight campaign and voting rules
Associated PressMAR 18
Kirsty Coventry Elected as First Female IOC President
Above: Kirsty Coventry after being elected as the IOC president on March 20, 2025, in Costa Navarino, Greece. Image copyright: Milos Bicanski/Stringer/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Coventry is a transformative choice for the Olympic movement and will bring a fresh perspective as an athlete and proven leader who understands both competition and administration. Her election shatters multiple glass ceilings and positions the IOC to better address modern challenges while maintaining its core values of friendship, excellence, and respect.
Narrative B
Questions persist about Coventry's limited experience in managing large-scale international organizations and her political ties to Zimbabwe's controversial government, which has faced international sanctions. Moreover, there was hard lobbying on her behalf as she had been Bach's preferred candidate, showing she is a continuity candidate rather than a reformer.