On the morning of June 23 (local time), a handover ceremony was held at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe officially assumed office as the 10th President of the IOC, receiving the symbolic golden key of leadership from outgoing president Thomas Bach.

At 41, Kirsty Coventry becomes the first woman and the first African to serve as President in the IOC’s history. She was elected at the 144th IOC Session held on March 20, emerging victorious among seven candidates.

A five-time Olympian, Coventry competed from the 2000 Sydney Games to her final appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, earning a total of seven Olympic medals—two gold, four silver, and one bronze. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she claimed one gold and three silver medals at the National Aquatics Center, known as the “Water Cube.”

The Milan 2026 Winter Olympics will be the first Olympic Games held during her tenure as IOC President.