By Taurai Mhaka
In a historic ceremony at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 23, 2025, Thomas Bach passed the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to Kirsty Coventry, marking a new chapter for the Olympic Movement.
The event, attended by over 700 guests, including IOC Members, athletes, and Olympic Movement representatives, was a moment of great significance. “Today is a day of gratitude, confidence, and joy,” Bach said, expressing his gratitude to the IOC Members, athletes, and staff for their support during his 12-year term. “The Olympic Movement will be in the best of hands with Kirsty Coventry,” he added, highlighting her unique style and dynamic perspective.
Coventry, the first woman and African to hold the position, thanked Bach for his leadership and legacy. “You’ve kept us united through turbulent times, and you’ve led us to an incredible Paris [Olympic Games],” she said. “We look forward to making you proud in the future.”
As she begins her eight-year term, Coventry emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration within the Olympic Movement. “We are the guardians of this Movement… It’s a platform to inspire, change lives, and bring hope,” she said, comparing the Olympic Movement to a spider’s web that is “complex, beautiful, and strong” but requires every piece to work together to function.
With her new role, Coventry is set to make history and shape the future of the Olympics. Her vision for the Olympic Movement is centered around inspiring and empowering the next generation, promoting unity, and ensuring the Movement remains relevant and impactful.
The ceremony was a fitting tribute to Bach’s dedication and service to the IOC, and a warm welcome to Coventry as she embarks on her new journey. As the Olympic Movement moves forward, one thing is certain – the spirit of unity, solidarity, and Olympic values will continue to guide it.
The IOC, founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin, is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement, responsible for promoting the values of excellence, friendship, and respect through sport.
It is a not-for-profit, civil, non-governmental, international organisation made up of volunteers, committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 4.7 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. Photograph: IOC/Greg Martin
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