Kirsty Coventry Becomes International Olympic Committee First Female President

I am incredibly honoured and excited to be elected as President of the International Olympic Committee!

Coventry said

If you do not protect it, or you are in any way ambivalent about it for whatever reason, then it will not end well for women’s sport,

Coe said when he launched his campaign last year

This is not just a huge honour, but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, and I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision you’ve taken today,

she said in a short acceptance speech

If the President wants to improve the Zimbabwean arts and culture, he should appoint a more suitable minister,

arts critic Fred Zindi told Zimbabwe newspaper NewsDay

Everything's scary. Embrace that. You have to fail,

Coventry told the swimming team at her American alma mater Auburn University last year

I have had very close family members and friends on farms who have gone through very hard times,

said Coventry

I have learned so many things from stepping into this ministry role,

she said in January

I have re-appointed her because l am happy with her performance,

said the 82-year-old

This is an extraordinary moment. As an nine-year girl, I never thought I would be standing up here one day getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,

Coventry said after her election

We still have a lot of work to do, and I am excited about leading this movement,

Coventry said of gender equality

I have been to five Olympic Games, won seven individual Olympic medals, broken multiple world records and had one of the best World Championship careers of all time,

Coventry wrote on her LinkedIn profile

100% it is necessary to find a solution,

Coventry said

By the time she was one year old, she had already been to 10 different countries around the world,

Coventry said

When I was 9 years old, I told my dad I wanted to go to the Olympics and win gold. He told me it would be a rough road ahead, he explained how difficult it was just to make the Olympic team let alone win a medal, but he believed in me,

she wrote in a Facebook post a few years ago

The interest is there and now we need to ensure that we're working closely with all of these countries that are interested so that they fully understand the magnitude of the Olympic Games,

she said

I think above anything else it's our duty as the IOC to ensure that all athletes can participate at the Games,

she said