Kirsty Coventry was elected president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday and became the first woman and first African to get perhaps the biggest job in world sports.

“It is a signal that we are truly global,” the Zimbabwe sports minister and two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist said.

It was a stunning first-round win for Coventry in the seven-candidate contest after voting by 97 IOC members.

The 41-year-old Coventry gets an eight-year mandate into 2033 with a likely early test in meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Coventry was asked at a news conference about going to the White House.

“I have been dealing with let’s say difficult,” taking a pause, “men in high positions since I was 20 years old. What I have learned is that communication will be key,” she said.

It was the most open and hard-to-call IOC presidential election in decades with Coventry expected to lead the first round short of an absolute majority. Though several rounds of votes were widely predicted, she got the exact majority of 49 needed.