It was a win as resounding as it was historic – Kirsty Coventry becoming the first African and the first woman to assume the most powerful and prestigious role in sport.
The double Olympic champion will now lead the Olympic movement in a turbulent world.
There aren’t just sporting but political challenges confronting the IOC.
Lord Coe polled just eight votes. Pic: Reuters
How to handle Vladimir Putin and whether Russia‘s Olympic ban remains in place over the war on Ukraine?
And how to deal with Donald Trump‘s volatility, unpredictability, and meddling as Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Olympics?
But Mrs Coventry has been preparing for this moment since retiring from the pool – with all the experience gained on the IOC Athletes’ Commission and in Zimbabwe’s government as sports minister.
“I have been dealing with, let’s say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old,” she said, adding her “firm belief is that President Trump is a huge lover of sports”.
But, I asked, will she comply with Mr Trump’s order to ban transgender women from women’s events at the Olympics?
“It’s going to take communication,” she replied.
Donald Trump with another world head of sport, FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Pic: Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pic: Reuters
“We’re going to create a task force that’s going to look at the transgender issue and the protection of the female category.
“And once we’ve made the decision collectively as the IOC with the international federations that decision will be made very clear and we won’t move from that decision.”
Not the strident approach advanced by Sebastian Coe – the only one of the seven IOC candidates to agree with Trump’s trans stance.
While Mrs Coventry secured 49 of the 97 votes – for an unexpected first-round win – Lord Coe picked up just eight backers.
Kirsty Coventry celebrates her gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Pic: Reuters
The new IOC president-elect after clinching gold in 2004. Pic: Reuters
We are never told who the IOC membership – from sport, business, and royalty – picked.
But a humiliating third place showed perhaps that Lord Coe was too disruptive as a change candidate and, particularly, too divisive with his push for prize money for medallists.
“It’s a disappointing result, but that’s what happens when you go into elections,” the World Athletics president said.
“I think it’s pretty clear that the athletes and, in particular the female members, voted for her in very big numbers in the first round.”
This seemed a win for the continuity candidate – closely aligned with Thomas Bach during his 12 years leading the IOC.
When I asked the German about Lord Coe’s criticism of the closed and secretive election process, he replied: “Don’t blame the voters, don’t blame the procedure.”
IOC President Thomas Bach announces the result. Pic: AP
There won’t be another vote for eight years. And Mrs Coventry could then seek another four-year term.
At 41, she is the second youngest IOC election winner at a time when the Olympics is trying to maintain appeal to younger audiences.
And the focus will soon shift to 2036 and where those Summer Olympics will be staged.
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There is interest from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India and Turkey.
But unlike Thursday’s presidential poll, there has been a shift to designations of host cities, conferring prestige rather than contests.
It gives even more power to the IOC’s leader as Mrs Coventry officially begins her reign on Olympic Day in June.
