Sebastian Coe suffers the heaviest defeat at the IOC election

World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe suffered the heaviest defeat as Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward wrote history as the first female President in IOC history during the 144th International Olympic Committee (IOC) voting Session, held on March 20, 2025 in Costa Navarino, Pylos, Greece.

Coe who headed into the IOC presidential race as the favorite and exuding confidence, received a paltry eight of the 97 votes of the IOC members while Coventry bagged a staggering 49 and Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr – the son of the influential IOC president of the same name between 1980 and 2001, collected 28.

The result outcome humbled Coe who was gracious in defeat, congratulating Coventry, a fellow athlete for taking the mantle at the helm of IOC.

“I’m absolutely delighted for Kirsty. And we’ve got an athlete at the head of the organisation. That’s a good thing and that’s what’s happened. So I’ve congratulated her,” said Coe

The 68-year-old who is also the double Olympic 1500m champion, refused be drawn into construing the vote, which saw him take a third spot.

“It’s very difficult to make any interpretation at the moment. I think what is pretty clear is that the athletes and the women members supported her very strongly in the first round, and you know those things happen in elections,” he said.

“Elections are not an exact science, believe me. So, you know, it’s what it is. You know, I’m not going to sit there trying to dissect stuff on the back of a napkin.”

Coe pledged to support Coventry, as the most decorated Olympian swimmer from Africa, who serves as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe since September 2018 elected IOC president.

“I’m a member of the IOC and she’s the newly elected president. She deserves our support and she’ll get it,” Coe concluded.