Kirsty Coventry becomes first female and first African president of IOC

Zimbabwe's two-time Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee. She will be the first woman and first African to assume the role. 

Coventry garnered 49 of the 97 electronic and secret ballots cast by IOC members in the first round of an election in Greece on Thursday. The outcome gave her the majority required to secure the IOC presidency, in a field of seven contenders. 

Coventry is scheduled to take up an eight-year term as the 10th IOC president in June, after the 12-year tenure of incumbent Thomas Bach expires. Coventry won the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke at two consecutive Olympics -- Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. 

She is currently Zimbabwe's sports minister. Her campaign platform included enhancing support systems for athletes, strengthening women's sports and broadening the Olympics' young fan base.