Coventry Vote Not 'women Versus Men', Says Outgoing IOC Chief Bach

Muhammad Irfan Published March 21, 2025 | 01:30 AM

Costa Navarino, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Mar, 2025) Outgoing International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said the election of Kirsty Coventry as his successor should not be reduced to a gender battle of "women versus men".

Bach played down the importance of the 41-year-old from Zimbabwe, an Olympic gold medallist in swimming, becoming the first woman to be elected head of international sport's wealthiest organisation, defeating six other candidates, all men.

"I don't think we should reduce this election to the fact that there were six men and one woman. I don't think it was a vote on women versus men or vice versa," he said.

The German said the victory in the very first round of voting with 49 of the 97 votes gave Coventry "a very strong mandate" and was "a great signal of unity", adding: "She can count on the support of the membership.

Bach insisted he had "no preferred candidate" but recalled that he had said during last year's Paris Olympics it was time for a new leader who reflected a new era.

He will remain in office until June to oversee the hand-over to Coventry, a process he said would start on Friday when he will have breakfast with her to discuss the transition.

Coventry garnered 21 more votes than second-placed Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior while Sebastian Coe, the double 1,500m Olympic champion and head of World Athletics, received just eight.