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B Metro Reporter
The Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry, has been named as one of the seven candidates to contest for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March next year.
According to the IOC, the elections will be held at the 143rd IOC Session to be held from 18 to 21 March in Greece. Other candidates are
“The candidates will present their programmes, in camera, to the full IOC membership on the occasion of a meeting to be held in Lausanne (Switzerland) in January 2025.”
Coventry was elected as an IOC Member as a member of the Athletes’ Commission from 2013 to 2021; then elected as an IOC Member as an individual member in 2021 (Olympic Charter, Rule 16.1.1.1). Born in 1983; Mrs Coventry is eligible to be re-elected as an IOC Member until she reaches the age limit of 70 in 2053.
Sports Career
Aquatics (swimming: backstroke and individual medley) – Olympic Games: gold medals in 2004 and 2008 (200m backstroke); silver medals in 2004 (100m backstroke) and in 2008 (200m individual medley, 400m individual medley and 100m backstroke); bronze medal in 2004 (200m individual medley); competed in 2000 and 2016 – World Championships: gold medals in 2005 (100m and 200m backstroke) and in 2009 (200m backstroke); silver medals in 2005 (200m and 400m individual medley), in 2007 (200m backstroke and 200m individual medley) and in 2009 (400m individual medley) – World Cups: silver medal in 2010 (200m individual medley) and bronze medals in 2010 (200m backstroke and 200m individual medley) 11th African Games Brazzaville 2015: gold medal (200m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 100m backstroke)
Sports Administration
Member of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee (NOC 2013-); Vice president of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee (2017-2018, stepped down after Government Appointment); IOC Athlete Representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (2012-2021); Member of the WADA’s Athlete Committee (2014-2021); Vice-president of the International Surfing Association (ISA) (2016-); FINA Athlete Committee Member (2017-); Minister of Sport in Zimbabwe (2018-); Founder of KCA Swim Academy, which focuses on learning to swim and water safety for children (2016-); Co-Founder of HEROES, a not-for-profit organisation that uses sport to deliver soft skills to children aged 6yrs-13yrs in underprivileged areas; provides motivational talks and clinics for schools and developing athletes around the world; advisor to groups, businesses, foundations and individuals interested in developing athletes’ skills and careers.
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