A Giant Leap For Womankind

Coventry's rise as IOC's first woman president is a promising start towards ensuring gender parity in sports administration

- VISHAL MENON

Kirsty Coventry calls Greece her "good luck charm". At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she became the first Zimbabwean to clinch gold in swimming.

On March 21, at Costa Navarino, an idyllic Greek beachside resort town, Coventry smashed the glass ceiling of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be elected the first woman and the first African president in the federation's 130-year history.

Hours after her ascension, Coventry, 41, found herself facing inquisitive reporters, who probed her on how she would handle US President Donald Trump in her new role.

"I have been dealing with difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old," she replied without batting an eyelid. The Zimbabwean Olympic champion replaces Thomas Bach to secure the most coveted post in sports administration.

"It is really a powerful signal," Coventry beamed after the win. "It is a signal that we're truly global and that we have evolved into an organisation that is open to diversity," she told reporters.

Youngest IOC head

To elucidate the significance of this epochal moment: Coventry was pitted against rivals, all men. And, she is only the second woman ever to stand for the IOC presidency, and the youngest to clinch the position.

"It is truly a massive moment. It shows that there is space for women at the top of the tree," veteran sports journalist Sharda Ugra said.

What makes Coventry's rise even more spectacular is that she has age on her side. "She is much younger than some of her predecessors like Bach. It means she will have a fresh approach on how to handle complex tasks," Ugra explained.