By Graham Dunbar
The first female and first African president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, was inaugurated in the role Monday on the organization’s 131st birthday with praise that the Olympic movement was “in the best of hands.”
Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming for Zimbabwe, finally and formally takes office Tuesday aged just 41 after decisively winning a seven-candidate election in March to succeed Thomas Bach.
Coventry cited her family including her two young daughters as “my rocks, my inspiration” to lead the International Olympic Committee through the next eight years including the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
“You are my constant reminders of why we do what we do every single day,” Coventry said, addressing six-year-old Ella seated near the front of the ceremony
“You are a constant reminder of why this movement is relevant, why it needs to change, why we need to embrace the new ways,” the
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