Kirsty Coventry has declared she's shattered a century-old glass ceiling as she hoped her election as the first female and first African president of the International Olympic Committee would be "an inspiration to many people".
Defeating the challenge of half-a-dozen 50-and-60-something men, the 41-year-old former Zimbabwean swim star, Africa's most decorated Olympian, dealt all the traditional old male guard an extraordinary knock-out blow while becoming the youngest holder of the biggest job in global sport.
The Zimbabwe sports minister and former Olympic swimming champ enjoyed a shock first-round win in the 97 IOC members' secret ballot in Greece on Thursday (Friday AEDT) as she received 49 votes in the first round, while her opponents mustered 48 between them.