History made as Kirsty Coventry takes over as head of the IOC

The first female and first African president of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, was inaugurated in the role on Monday – the organisation’s 131st birthday.

Coventry, a two-time Olympic swimming gold medallist for Zimbabwe, formally takes office on Tuesday after decisively winning a seven-candidate election in March to succeed Thomas Bach.

“You have placed your trust in someone whose life story is deeply rooted in the…