The Zimbabwean becomes both the first woman and the first African to lead the global sporting body.
In a symbolic handover ceremony, outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach presented Coventry with the key to the IOC headquarters, saying:
In this spirit of gratitude, confidence and joy, I hand over the keys of Olympic House to Mrs Kirsty Coventry, the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee. Now she makes history.
In her speech, Coventry thanked Bach for keeping the IOC united during “some of the most turbulent times,” and said:
I can’t believe that in 1992 when I had the dream of going to the Olympic Games and winning a gold medal for Zimbabwe, that I’d be standing here with all of you, getting to make those dreams come true for more young people around the world.
Back in March, Coventry surprised many by winning the IOC presidency in just one round of voting, securing 49 out of 97 possible votes.
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. received 28 votes, while World Athletics president Sebastian Coe garnered eight.
At 41, Coventry becomes the youngest IOC president since Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games.
The Frenchman established the IOC in 1894 and assumed its presidency two years later at the age of 33.
A former world-class swimmer from Zimbabwe, Coventry rose to prominence at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she won gold in the 200-meter backstroke.
She repeated that feat in Beijing in 2008. In total, she claimed two Olympic gold medals, four silver, and one bronze, making her Africa’s most successful female Olympian.
Only Ethiopia’s long-distance legend Tirunesh Dibaba, with three gold and two bronze medals, has achieved more Olympic success among African athletes.
By the end of her competitive career, Coventry had competed in five Olympic Games, set multiple world records, and established herself as one of the most accomplished swimmers in World Championship history.