British Olympic hero Sebastian Coe was trounced in his bid to become president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Just one round of voting was required for Kirsty Coventry to become the first female and African candidate elected to the governing body’s top role.
Lord Coe, who has been the president of World Athletics since 2015, was one of the leading candidates to head up the IOC in an election with three standout candidates. Four of the seven names on the ballot paper had effectively been discounted as serious contenders, leaving two-time Olympic gold medallist Lord Coe, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, and Coventry, who competed as a swimmer in five Olympic Games for Zimbabwe.
In a stunning turn of events, Coventry thrashed the opposition and picked up enough votes – more than 50% – to win in the first round. Of the 97 IOC membets who voted at the session, 49 backed Coventry, 28 opted for Samaranch Jr and a lowly eight stood with Lord Coe.
Coventry said after accepting the nomination to be the IOC’s 10th president: “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.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and now we’ve got some work to do together. This race was an incredible race and it made us better, made us a stronger movement. Thank you very much for this moment, and thank you very much for this honour.”
Lord Coe fell a long way short of the presidency despite securing big-name backing from the likes of Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Manchester United. However, the result may serve as a reminder that his decision to pay track and field winners at last year’s Paris Olympics was opposed by a number of IOC delegates.
Coventry was believed to be the favoured choice of the man she is replacing, Thomas Bach, after a campaign in which many of the candidates emphasised the importance of protecting women’s sport and preserving the Olympics’ lofty status.
One of Coventry’s first priorities will be to forge a working relationship with Donald Trump ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Wading through the debate on transgender participation is also likely to feature prominently in her eight-year presidency term. She told Inside The Games last month: “I think the IOC should take a bit more of a leading role in coming up with a framework that protects the female category.”
