The information on this page was written the year of their induction.

FOR THE RECORD: 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m backstroke), silver (100m backstroke, 200 I.M., 400 I.M.); 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m backstroke), silver (100m backstroke), bronze (200 I.M.); SIX WORLD RECORDS; 2009 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC) gold (200m backstroke), silver (400 I.M.); 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (200m backstroke, 200 I.M.); 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m, 200m backstroke), silver (200 I.M., 400 I.M.); 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): gold (100m 200m backstroke, 200 I.M., 400 I.M.), bronze (100 I.M.); 2002 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (200 I.M.). 

The United States. Australia. Hungary. They are nations familiar to the podium at major international competitions, including the Olympic Games. Zimbabwe doesn’t fit the mold, but Kirsty Coventry single handedly put the African country on the swimming map, thanks to her consistency, longevity, and versatility. 

Coventry first competed at the Olympics as a teenager at the 2000 Games in Sydney. Although she failed to advance to any finals, the experience was valuable and allowed the Zimbabwean to get an up-close view of elite racing. Over the next few years, Coventry continued to hone her skills, with a major decision to attend Auburn University, an NCAA power program. 

Behind her work at Auburn, Coventry elevated her status on the international stage and made her second Olympics, in 2004 in Athens, a successful appearance. Coventry collected a full set of medals in that Olympiad, claiming a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke, a silver medal in the 100 backstroke and a bronze medal in the 200 individual medley. 

Coventry was even more impressive at the next year’s World Championships in Montreal, where she became one of the few athletes in history to win four individual medals at a single Worlds. In addition to winning titles in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, Coventry was the silver medalist in the 200 individual medley and 400 I.M. Her win in the 100-meter backstroke arrived over world record holder Natalie Coughlin, one of the few defeats the American endured between back-to-back Olympic crowns in 2004 and 2008. 

Lauded as a hero in her homeland, Coventry proved that even athletes from smaller nations can reach the pinnacle of their sport. She added two medals at the 2007 World Championships and in early 2008, she set her first world record, breaking a 16-year-old standard in the 200 backstroke. 

At the 2008 Olympic Games, Coventry won four medals. In her first three events in Beijing, Coventry earned silver medals in the 400 individual medley, 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley. She broke through in her fourth event, winning gold in the 200 backstroke in world record time. 

A year later, Coventry won a silver medal at the World Championships in the 400 I.M. and secured another world title in the 200 backstroke, where she lowered her world record. Coventry also competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, bringing her total number of Olympic appearances to five. 

Overall, she won seven Olympic medals and eight medals at the World Championships, all from individual events, and was a five-time world-record setter. 

Beyond her success in the pool, Coventry has had an impact in several organizational roles. Coventry has been a member of the International Olympic Committee for more than a decade, helping to ensure positive experiences for athletes. She has also served in roles with World Aquatics and the World Anti-Doping Agency. 

Kirsty Coventry will be remembered for her multi-event talent and enduring legacy as a major factor in international competition. But she’ll also be remembered as an inspiration, proving that greatness comes from all places.