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Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the first female president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but who is she and what challenges does she face?

The 41-year-old former swimmer, who replaces German Thomas Bach, also becomes the first African and the youngest person to hold the role.

Coventry secured a majority of 49 of the 97 votes available in the first round, beating six other contenders including IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr and World Athletics boss Lord Coe.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service’s Alex Capstick tells Sport Today’s Ed Harry more about her career as an athlete and her rise to the head of the Olympics and what the pressing issues facing the new president will be.

Image: Kirsty Coventry reacts as she delivers a speech after being elected as the new IOC President on Day Two of the 144th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session on March 20, 2025 in Costa Navarino, Greece. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)