DailySun
Lausanne – Kirsty Coventry has made history by becoming the first woman, the first African, and the youngest person to be elected as the tenth President of the Olympic Committee.
Some might argue that this result was anticipated, especially since Thomas Bach had handpicked her as his successor.
While Bach’s endorsement surely played a pivotal role, other factors likely influenced the decision-makers who chose to back her during the first round of voting—an outcome that many veteran Olympic analysts found surprising.
Coventry secured 49 votes out of 97, with Samaranch in second place with 28 votes, leaving the other candidates far behind.
In an interview we organized for colleagues worldwide, she stated: “First and foremost, I had hoped to be the youngest-ever candidate, but most of you know that our founder, Pierre de Coubertin, was actually the youngest at age 33, so I’ve got a good decade on him, which I take pride in. But genuinely, it’s an incredible honor to be part of this race.”
What happened?
She was right, but what led to such a rapid and decisive vote count? Several factors could have contributed to this outcome. One possible reason lies in recent developments over the past few months.
The traditional IOC structure may have faced some disruption following a significant event: four out of the seven candidates are presidents of international federations and hold ex officio membership—meaning they retain their membership as long as they remain in office.
This unique, though temporary, membership status was established in the 1990s.
The background
Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then IOC president, responded to the persistent requests of Primo Nebiolo, the founder of ASOIF, to integrate such individuals into the Olympic domain.
To fulfill this request, Samaranch granted Nebiolo an ex officio status, effectively ensuring he couldn’t run for IOC presidency.
This year, however, the interpretation of this rule has changed, although the odd procedure remains: if one of these ex officio candidates had won, they would have had to undergo another vote to be accepted as individual members.
The challenge
The sudden surge of support for these four presidents appears to have sparked concern within the Olympic community.
Each candidate is a highly capable leader with an excellent track record in their respective fields.
Despite intense scrutiny of their insights and proposals, they struggled to achieve a significant impact.
Had any of them won, it may have weakened the foundations of the current Olympic structure.
Nonetheless, their candidacies are likely to encourage constructive reflection, as collaboration with international federations needs to become more coherent and transparent, especially in these challenging times.
We hope that any negative sentiments do not leave lasting scars; it would be unfortunate, as the world of sports needs its finest leaders right now.
Ubuntu philosophy
Kirsty has consistently expressed her dedication to the Ubuntu philosophy, which stresses collectivism over individualism.
Ubuntu emphasizes that our humanity is shaped by community: “I am because we are.”
This guiding principle will be tested in the coming months and years, especially in the often individualistic domain of sports management.
A woman’s pragmatic approach to interpersonal dynamics may prove especially advantageous, and it will be fascinating to see how she navigates this new chapter.
Another consideration
Most IOC members also factored in the age issue, which enforces retirement at 70. While this rule is outdated and increasingly debatable, it could have posed complications had a candidate in their sixties been elected.
At the same time, this decision reflects that the Olympic community is open to youth and women’s leadership.
The fact that Coventry was elected in the first round, with Samaranch achieving a solid second place, indicates that 80% of members favored an internal solution.
Even the athletes overlooked the initiatives of the federal presidents—an intriguing trend.
We can only conclude that this change is exciting, potentially paving the way for numerous new and positive outcomes, although significant challenges are sure to arise.
Kirsty has consistently reminded us: “You must learn to organize yourself in every circumstance, even in those that are unexpectedly difficult.”
She also expressed her respect for journalists, and her first act upon accepting our invitation demonstrated this commitment.
Now we must continue on this journey.
