Kirsty Coventry

Kirsty Coventry is Zimbabwe’s top Olympian, having won seven of the country’s eight Olympic medals to date (as of 2025). One of the world’s top backstroke and medley swimmers, she won three medals in the 2004 Olympics, including a gold in the 200 m backstroke. She retained that title in 2008 and added three silver medals. She competed at five Olympics (2000-2016), mostly competing in the backstrokes and the individual medley events.

Coventry has also won three long-course world titles, winning the 100 and 200 m backstroke in 2005 and her specialty event, the 200 m backstroke, in 2009. At the 2008 short-course World Championships, she triumphed in four events. She set four world records, three in her trademark event, the 200 back, and one in the 100 metre backstroke. Coventry swam in college in the United States, competing for Auburn University. She helped Auburn win NCAA team championships in 2003 and 2004 and was the top individual scorer at the 2005 NCAA Meet.

Domestically, Coventry entered politics and in 2018 was named the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in her native Zimbabwe. Coventry was elected as an Athlete member of the IOC in 2013. She served in that role until 2021 when she was upgraded to an Individual member of the IOC. In March 2025 Coventry was elected the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece. She took office in June 2025.