Coventry is a Zimbabwean national and that country's sports minister, and beat out a shortlist which included member of the British House of Lords Sebastian Coe, a former Olympic middle-distance gold medalist more commonly known back then as Seb Coe.

Kaljulaid said that the words of her predecessor in the IOC top spot, Thomas Bach, carried significant weight when it came down to it.

Kaljulaid, who was Estonian president 2016-2021, became chair of the domestic Olympic committee last year and has been pushing for representation from Estonia within the IOC. She gave a short interview to ERR.

What will the new, first woman president bring to the IOC?

I think it doesn't matter whether it's a man or a woman, but what is important is that the IOC will surely get a new lease of life. I find it very important that we have a leader who has stated that athletes are a priority for her. She has promised to make many decisions, together with the IOC Athletes' Commission, and also to focus on sportspeople's mental health. I believe this is appropriate for this century. We are dealing with issues that truly matter to those who are the main figures. They are not gladiators we can watch from the sidelines and then forget about; they are real people who deserve to be treated well.

For many people, it came as a surprise that the election was decided in the first round. The expectation was that there could be up to six rounds. Seven candidates, with a lot of excitement. But Kirsty Coventry secured the necessary 49 votes. The next closest was Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. with 28 votes, then Seb Coe with eight; the others, even fewer. Did this come as a surprise to you?

Actually, it didn't. This somewhat serves to demonstrate that the IOC is also a rather conservative organization. President Thomas Bach's preferred candidate convincingly won, in the first round. I believe it definitely helped that Thomas Bach had made his preference very clear. I didn't expect so few rounds to be needed, though, and it was a close call – exactly the minimum number of votes required. However, there was also no fear that the votes would be too dispersed.

I was perhaps a bit surprised that David Lappartient received so few votes (four – ed.). In my opinion, he had a program focused on transparency and efficiency, and I greatly appreciate what he has done for [cycling organization] the UCI. The way cyclists have included athletes with special needs in their regular competitions has been very commendable and deserving of respect.

But of course, if I had been able to vote myself, I would have voted for Sebastian Coe, who has the clearest stance on the issue of Russian and Belarusian athletes – and which likely ended up being his downfall.

What is the biggest challenge for the new president when she takes office in June?

As ever, there is less money than forecast. Many sponsorship agreements have expired because we have had consecutive Olympic Games in Asia. There, the sponsors were companies of a certain type, but now new sponsors must be found in Europe and America. These are different types of companies, so this pivot needs to be made. And promises must be fulfilled. The Athletes' Commission must now feel that they are the ones leading this game.

And finally – when could the new IOC president visit Estonia, and when will Estonia have a vote in these elections?

Now, that second question is interesting. It's quite easy to go to Lausanne and engage in discussions. We are currently among the national Olympic committees involved in the working group on artificial intelligence. We have also been quite active in the European Olympic Committees over the past six months. Together with the Nordic countries, we managed to ensure that all Nordic representatives are included in the new executive committee, while, for example, Serbs and Hungarians are not – again, the same issue of Russian and Belarusian participation.

But having an Estonian become an IOC member... well, look, the Finns have two: Emma Terho and Sari Essayah. The Lithuanians have a representative there. Throughout history, Estonia has only had two – Joakim Puhk and Friedrich Akel – and that was a very, very long time ago. I think systematic work starts with participating in working groups, building connections, and someday, I believe, an Estonian will make it there.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!