COSTA NAVARINO, Greece (Kyodo) -- Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was elected the first female and African president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday as Japanese candidate Morinari Watanabe missed out.

The 41-year-old former swimmer Coventry, the 200-meter backstroke gold medalist at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, won 49 of the 97 votes during the first round of secret ballot at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece.

"Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model," said Coventry, who won seven medals in total from five Olympic appearances before becoming an IOC member in 2013. She is eligible to serve an eight-year term as president.

It came a day after incumbent Thomas Bach was named the IOC's honorary president for life. The 71-year-old German, who won a fencing gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, is stepping down in June after 12 years in charge.

Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain won 28 votes and Britain's Sebastian Coe eight. Watanabe and David Lappartient of France collected four votes each, with Jordan's Prince Feisal Al Hussein and Johan Eliasch of Britain securing two each.

The 66-year-old Watanabe, the head of the International Gymnastics Federation, was running as the first-ever Japanese candidate with outlandish ideas including hosting the Summer Olympics on five continents simultaneously and renaming the IOC to the World Sports Organization, expanding its activities beyond overseeing the Olympics.

"I feel sorry I wasn't able to meet the expectations of those who supported me," Watanabe told reporters. "I hope it becomes the new first step for the Japanese sporting world. I hope there will be a Japanese IOC president one day."

The IOC, established in 1894, has had eight European presidents and one from the United States.