Kirsty Coventry created history on June 23, 2025, by becoming the first African and the first woman to head the largest, most powerful sporting organisation on the planet, when she formally took charge of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
At the age of 41, she is also the youngest president since Pierre de Coubertin, the founding father of the modern Olympic Games. Hand-picked by outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach, Kirsty was largely seen as a symbol of continuity, with Bach, now IOC honorary president for life, remaining the power centre. But, in the last three months since her election, during the handover period, those working with her at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne shared the belief that she was her own person.
During her election campaign, the former Zimbabwean swimmer – a seven-time Olympic medallist – pledged to introduce a blanket ban on transgender women competing in female Olympic competitions. In recent years, a growing number of sports federations have barred athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in elite female competitions amid concerns over fairness and safety. However, in other sports, transgender women are still able to compete in women’s events at the Olympics. The IOC was engulfed in controversy at the Paris Games when Algeria’s Imane Khelif won the women’s welterweight boxing gold medal – a year after being disqualified from the World Championships for reportedly failing a gender eligibility test. The IOC cleared the 25-year-old to compete – along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting – who was also banned by the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IOC said competitors were eligible for the women’s division if their passports indicated they were female.
Now at the helm of affairs, Kirsty will have to make some other big decisions, including the possible return of Russia to the Olympic fold. In the run-up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, she will have to deal with US President Donald Trump frequently.
The political uncertainties and global conflicts will force her to do more than simply administer world sports. The Russia-Ukraine war and growing hostilities in West Asia could have a bearing on the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympics – something that also brings Indian interests into the equation. IOC member Nita Ambani was among the closest allies of Kirsty during and after the recent ceremony. A two-day closed-door session with IOC members to exchange ideas and opinions will be crucial to gauge initial impressions. The political situation, in the immediate context, may also have a bearing on the possible bids by Qatar and Saudi Arabia – two countries with deeper pockets than any other and with growing interest in hosting the Games.