IPC President Andrew Parsons attends IOC Presidency handover ceremony
Andrew Parsons, an IOC Member, was in Lausanne, Switzerland, as Kirsty Coventry became the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee. 23 Jun 2025
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons was in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Monday (23 June 2025), attending the historic handover ceremony of the International Olympic Committee Presidency from Thomas Bach to Kirsty Coventry.
Coventry, a double Olympic champion in swimming from Zimbabwe (2004, 2008), was elected as the 10th IOC President at the 144th IOC Session in March in Olympia, Greece. She is the first woman and the first African ever to hold the IOC’s highest office and has been elected for a term of eight years.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “It was an honour and a privilege to witness the historic handover of the IOC Presidency from Thomas Bach to Kirsty Coventry.
“The IOC is the IPC’s most important strategic partner, and the IPC looks forward to working with the new IOC President in the years to come.
“To my friend Thomas Bach, thank you for 12 outstanding years leading the Olympic Movement. The IOC IPC relationship has never been stronger.”
During the Ceremony which coincided with Olympic Day, Bach, an Olympic gold medallist in fencing, symbolically passed the key for Olympic House from one Olympic champion to another in a moment of historical significance.
An Olympic Order in Gold was presented by Coventry to Bach. The Olympic Order is the highest honour granted by the IOC to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause through their contribution to the Olympic Movement.
More than 700 assembled guests – including IOC Members, athletes, representatives of the Olympic Movement, delegates from international organisations, political leaders and IOC staff – witnessed an emotional ceremony.
