Ms. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion who has been Zimbabwe’s sports minister, faces urgent issues including the rights of transgender athletes and the challenges posed by the climate crisis.

Kirsty Coventry, an Olympic champion swimmer turned sports administrator, was on Thursday elected as the new president of the International Olympic Committee, marking an historic milestone as the first African and first female to lead the Olympic movement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry on her election as International Olympic Committee president on Thursday, saying her "unique experience" would ensure the movement's advancement.