The former Olympic swimmer and current candidate for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, claims that her experience as a champion makes her the most suitable to succeed Thomas Bach in June this year. However, her controversial performance during her tenure as the Minister of Sports has cast doubts on her ability to translate her athletic success into effective leadership.

"It is important for the President of the IOC to be a top athlete who understands sports," Kirsty Coventry told the Spanish news agency EFE in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Coventry won a total of seven Olympic medals (two gold, four silver, and one bronze) between 2004 and 2008 and participated in five Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016. Among the seven candidates for the IOC presidency, she and Sebastian Coe, the President of World Athletics, are the only two Olympic champions.

"I am an athlete, a sports administrator, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, which proves my ability to lead the Olympics," she said. Coventry is the African athlete with the most Olympic medals and Zimbabwe's most renowned athlete. The "Golden Girl" won the 200-meter backstroke championships at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and has contributed almost all of Zimbabwe's Olympic medals except for the gold medal won by the women's field hockey team in 1980.

When Coventry was appointed Minister of Sports of Zimbabwe in 2018, there were high expectations for her, but her tenure soon turned into disappointment. Under her leadership, the country's sports sector has long faced problems such as insufficient funding, dilapidated infrastructure, and political interference.

In February 2022, FIFA banned Zimbabwe from participating in international football matches because the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) appointed by the government suspended the activities of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), which violated FIFA's policy against third-party interference. As a result, Zimbabwe was excluded from the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, and FIFA also froze the financial support to ZIFA. Coventry defended this decision, stating that the officials of ZIFA had mismanaged government funds and there were acts of sexual harassment. However, the board members of the association accused her of misleading the public.

In 2020, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Zimbabwe's stadiums from hosting international matches due to insufficient facilities. The issues mentioned included poor maintenance, unsafe spectator areas, inadequate drainage systems, lack of sanitation facilities, and the absence of anti-doping testing and medical facilities. Although Zimbabwe later regained its eligibility for international football matches, the situation remains severe, and the country's national team and club teams have had to play their home games abroad. Coventry once claimed to have purchased bucket seats to bring the National Stadium in Harare up to CAF standards, but these seats have yet to be installed. The poor state of the infrastructure has had a serious impact, limiting Zimbabwe's ability to participate in and host international sports events.

Despite her poor performance in her first term, Coventry was reappointed as Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2023.

The Zimbabwean delegation at the 2024 Paris Olympics caused controversy. It was reported that the government sent 74 officials and VIPs, while there were only 9 athletes. Critics accused these officials of misusing public funds, but the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee denied this, insisting that only 10 officials in the delegation were official members. However, it was reported that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and Coventry traveled on a private jet, which raised concerns about government spending during a period when the country was seeking drought relief.

The number of athletes Zimbabwe sent to the 2024 Paris Olympics was only 4 more than that to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they failed to win a medal for the fourth consecutive year. This is a significant decrease compared to the 31 athletes who participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics, making it the smallest Olympic delegation from Zimbabwe since the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics (with 2 athletes participating).

The 2024 team included marathon runners Isaac Mpofu and Rutendo Nyahora, rower Stephen Cox, swimmers Dennis Cyprianos and Paige van der Westhuizen, and sprinters Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu. These two sprinters made history as the first Zimbabwean athletes to reach the 200-meter final since Brian Dzingai in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

 

Despite Coventry's brilliant swimming career, Zimbabwe's swimming program has stagnated since her retirement. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Peter Wetzlar finished 42nd in the 100-meter freestyle, and Donata Katai finished 34th in the 100-meter backstroke. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Paige van der Westhuizen finished 25th in the 100-meter freestyle, and Makanakaishe Charamba finished 28th in the 200-meter backstroke.

Coventry has been an IOC member since 2013. She previously served as the President of the Athletes' Commission and is currently in charge of the coordination committees for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. She is the only female candidate for the presidency and the second woman in history to run for the position. The last one was Anita DeFrantz in 2001, when Jacques Rogge was elected.

At a recent press conference with the International Sports Press Association, Coventry believed that her multiple roles as a mother, a minister, and an advocate for athletes gave her an advantage in the race for the IOC presidency. However, her campaign has struggled to gain sufficient support. Her campaign manifesto has been criticized for lacking appeal, and her limited campaign activities have left her behind more politically experienced candidates such as Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain.

Despite being well-liked and having the tacit support of Thomas Bach, she has not yet gained significant campaign momentum. Some media have called her the "apparent successor" of the current German president (Thomas Bach). "He (Thomas Bach) will become the Honorary President of the IOC, and it will be beneficial to draw on his experience in managing the organization," she said.

Kirsty Coventry, an IOC member since 2013, is pictured with Thomas Bach. Getty Images

As the only African candidate, against the backdrop of the IOC presidency having been mainly held by Europeans and Americans for a long time, Coventry's identity has also been scrutinized. Given her white heritage, some within the Olympic movement question to what extent she is truly "African": her family is descended from former settlers in Rhodesia, a background that has sparked controversy over representation. But the former swimmer is unfazed by these concerns. "I want to be the best candidate and win the election, not because of my gender or where I come from," she said.

Her campaign slogan "Ubuntu" - an African philosophy meaning "I am because we are" - emphasizes the spirit of cooperation. However, this slogan has previously been publicly used by Doc Rivers, the coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics, in the process of winning the basketball championship in 2008. "This is the foundation of my campaign manifesto. I hope this is a collective effort," she explained.

Coventry believes that her candidacy is in line with the IOC's ongoing efforts to promote gender equality. "Becoming the first female president would be the best way to continue promoting gender equality in sports coaching, management, and leadership," she added.

However, despite her undeniable Olympic credentials, her performance during her tenure as the Minister of Sports of Zimbabwe has raised concerns about her leadership ability. Although she has some influence, her failure to improve the sports infrastructure and management in her home country suggests that she may lack the political acumen to effectively lead the IOC. Unless she can present a clearer vision for the organization's future and shake off the shadow of her complicated political record, she will have a hard time defeating competitors with fewer or no sports achievements but stronger management credentials.

As the election approaches, if Coventry wants to become the first female president in the history of the IOC, she will need to overcome the doubts about her abilities.