Lausanne (Switzerland), April 1 -- IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry was 9 years old when she first glimpsed the global sporting event that would change her life and secure her place in history.
At home in Harare, Zimbabwe, the young girl was captivated by the television footage of the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992.
Images of the picturesque swimming venue and stunning backdrops of the Spanish city inspired Coventry on a journey to a glittering Olympic swimming career and, eventually, the top leadership
role in world sport.
"Something about Barcelona just caught my eye," she recalled. "I said to my parents, 'I want to go to the Olympic Games one day and win Zimbabwe a gold medal.' They just smiled and said, 'OK, well it's going t...