Kirsty Coventry, Influential In and Out of the Pool, Bound For International Swimming Hall of Fame
In a few hours, Kirsty Coventry will receive induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, recognition for her dazzling career.
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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 singlehandedly 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 development her 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 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 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 IM 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 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.
i have been swimming all my life ….my mom was a physical Ed major from the university of minnesota and a w.s.I.t. She was a fanatic about teaching all six of her kids about lap swimming. My dad was a carrier army officer….which meant we moved about every two years. No matter where we moved to, our mom got us in a swim team. I even met my wife in Okinawa Japan on the swim team. After college I started running every day instead of lap swimming due to convenience. After I retired….in 2007… I got back into lap swimming. Running every for thirty years….5 miles a day rain or shine….left my hips and knees a little worn out….I could still run…but started having more pain…and so transitioned to lap swimming. I started out swimming 5 miles a day…..I’m retired…and already had the rhythm that is so necessary for long distance swimming. When I first started….it took me about 2 1/2 hours to complete the 5 mile swim. It’s been 16 years now…swimming 6 days a week…(dee…my wife likes taking off on sundays) I cut my swim down to four miles a day six days a week…because when Dee retired she didn’t like being in the pool so long…(we do everything together). The point I’m going to try to make…is that we have a magical…wonderful…marriage….and I think one of the contributing factors is our lap swimming together….we always get a lane next to each other….and thru the course of our lap swimming…our eyes will meet while doing flip turns at the same time….and will wave at each other….imagine that….43 years of marriage and we are still playfull goofy kids…swimming laps like we were on our team in Okinawa….I have kept track of my mileage since I joined the wellness health club here in Beaumont texas….(15,988 miles as of yesterday)….I’ve let other people know about the miracle of lap swimming but as you probably know….most people won’t stick with it….we believe that this…miracle in the water…is a gift waiting to be grabbed by everyone that wants a wonderful happy life…it is available to anyone….the physical and mental benefits are incredible! And once you get the hang of training your mind to meditate on your life…kids…marriage….etc etc….and keep track of your miles by both the clock and lap count…it’s a breeze….it makes everything better….health…relationships….food taste better because your hungry…sleep is a pleasure…not a necessity. So….I thought I would just send this out to as many people that we could reach…the miracle is real…and available to all….and it sure beats having to take pills for your physical and mental health every day. Sincerely, Matthew and Deanna Schmidt