Kirsty Coventry, one of the most-decorated athletes in Auburn University history, has been elected as the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee.

The 41-year-old Coventry, a native of Zimbabwe, is the first female president in the more than 100-year history of the IOC. After receiving 49 of 97 votes cast at the 144th IOC session on Thursday in Greece, she will officially take over from current president Thomas Bach on June 23.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to be elected as President of the International Olympic Committee! I want to sincerely thank my fellow members for their trust and support,” Coventry said. “The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamt of this moment.

“I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC President, and also the first from Africa. I hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people. Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model.”

Coventry swam at Auburn from 2001-05, helping the Tigers to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2003 and 2004 and earning individual national titles in the 200- and 400-yard individual medley and the 200-yard backstroke. She was 2005 SEC Swimmer of the Year and the SEC Female Athlete of the Year for 2004-05 before graduating with a degree in hotel and restaurant management in 2006.

Coventry represented her home country in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and is the most decorated African Olympian in history with seven total medals. She won gold in the 200-meter backstroke in both 2004 and 2008, setting a world record in the event in Beijing.

After retiring from competition, Coventry joined the IOC’s Athletes Commission in 2012 and was appointed Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in 2019. She was elected to the IOC’s Executive Committee in 2023 before being chosen for the organization’s top job on Thursday.

“Sport has an unmatched power to unite, inspire and create opportunities for all, and I am committed to making sure we harness that power to its fullest,” Coventry said. “Together with the entire Olympic family, including our athletes, fans and sponsors, we will build on our strong foundations, embrace innovation, and champion the values of friendship, excellence and respect.

“The future of the Olympic Movement is bright, and I can’t wait to get started!”

The 2026 Winter Olympics take place in Milan, Italy, with the 2028 Summer games set for Los Angeles.