Kirsty Coventry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Coventry at the2018 Summer Youth Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President-elect of the International Olympic Committee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assuming office 23 June 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeding | Thomas Bach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation of Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 10 September 2018 – 25 March 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Emmerson Mnangagwa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Kazembe Kazembe Sithembiso Nyoni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Kirsty Leigh Coventry (1983-09-16)16 September 1983 (age 41) Harare, Zimbabwe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Independent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Tyrone Seward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Auburn University (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  Zimbabwe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | KirstyCoventry.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke,individual medley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Longhorn Aquatics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Auburn University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Sharon Freeman, Dean Price, Kim Brackin,David Marsh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (néeCoventry; born 16 September 1983) is a Zimbabwean politician, sports administrator and retired competitive swimmer. She will become the 10thpresident of the International Olympic Committee in June 2025, being the first woman, the first Zimbabwean, and the first African to be elected to that position, replacingThomas Bach.[1][2] Coventry was serving as theMinister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in theCabinet of Zimbabwe from September 2018 to March 2024. A formerOlympic swimmer and world record holder, she is the most decorated Olympian from Africa.
Born inHarare, Coventry attended and swam competitively forAuburn University inAlabama, in the United States.[3] At the2004 Summer Olympics, inAthens, Coventry won three Olympic medals: a gold, a silver, and a bronze,[4] and in the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing she won four medals: a gold and three silver. She was subsequently described by Paul Chingoka, head of theZimbabwe Olympic Committee, as "our national treasure".[3] Zimbabwean PresidentRobert Mugabe called her "a golden girl",[5] and awarded herUS$100,000 in cash for her 2008 Olympic performance.[6] In 2016, Coventry retired from swimming after her fifth Olympics, having won the joint-most individual medals in women's swimming in Olympic history. She is a member of theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC), and was elected the Chairperson of the IOC Athletes' Commission, the body that represents all Olympic athletes worldwide, in early 2018.
Coventry was born inHarare on 16 September 1983[7][8] to Robert Edwin and Lyn Coventry.[9] She attended theDominican Convent: a Catholic, all-girls private school in Harare.[10][11]
In 2000, while still in high school at the Dominican Convent in Harare, Coventry qualified for theOlympics inSydney. She became the first Zimbabwean swimmer to reach the semifinals at theOlympics and was named the country's Sports Woman of the Year.[12][13] In the games, she broke theZimbabwean national record twice in the100 metre backstroke event, andAfrican continental record in the200 metre individual medley event; she did not qualify for the finals in either event.[14]
She qualified for the2002 Commonwealth Games inManchester, England, winning gold in the200 metre individual medley event.[15] She finished with a time of 2:14.53, aCommonwealth Games record.[16]
Coventry qualified for her second Olympics, in2004 inAthens, Greece. She won three medals, including a gold medal in the200-metre backstroke event; where she broke an African continental record. Coventry won a silver medal in the100 metre backstroke event. She finished behind the winner by 0.13 of a second, breaking an African record of 1:00.50.[17] She claimed her bronze medal in the200 metre individual medley event, breaking an African record of 2:12.72.[18][19] Her three medals were the only medalswon by Zimbabwe in the 2004 Summer Olympics, which was their second-highest medal count ever. Coventry also became the nation's first athlete in its history to claim an individual Olympic medal.[3]
As a student atAuburn University inAlabama, United States, Coventry helped lead the Tigers toNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships in2003 and2004. In2005, she was the top individual scorer at the NCAA Championships and captured three individual titles including the 200-yard and 400-yardindividual medley (IM), and the 200-yardbackstroke for the second consecutive season. She was named the College Swimming Coaches Association Swimmer of the Meet for her efforts.[20] Other awards include 2005Southeastern Conference (SEC) Swimmer of the Year, and the 2004–05 SEC Female Athlete of the Year. She was also the recipient of the 2004–05Honda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year.[21][22]
In 2006, she graduated from Auburn with aBachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management.[23]
At the2005 World Championships inMontreal, Canada, Coventry improved on her 2004 Olympic medal count by winning gold in both the100 m and200 m backstroke and silver in the200 m and the400 m IM. She bettered her Olympic gold-winning 200 m backstroke time with a performance of 2:08.52. She was one of just two swimmers from Zimbabwe along with Warren Paynter. Her performance allowed her country to rank third in the medal count by nation.[24]
InMelbourne, Australia, at the2007 World Championships, Coventry won silver medals in the200 m backstroke and200 m IM. She was disqualified in the400 m IM when finishing second to eventual winnerKatie Hoff in her heat. Coventry finished in a disappointing 14th place in the100 m backstroke in a time of 1:01.73, failing to qualify for the final. She continued her good form of 2007 by winning four gold medals at the International Swim Meet inNarashino, Japan. She led the way in the 200 m and 400 m IM as well as the 100 m and 200 m backstroke.[25] In the2007 All-Africa Games inAlgiers, Algeria, Coventry won seven gold and three silver medals.[citation needed]
In 2008, Coventry broke her first world record in the 200 m backstroke at the Missouri Grand Prix. She bettered the mark set byKrisztina Egerszegi in August 1991, the second-oldest swimming world record. Her new record was 2:06:39. Coventry continued her winning streak at the meet by winning the 100 m backstroke and the 200 m IM. Coventry is the third woman in history to break the 1:00 minute barrier in the 100 m backstroke, and the second to break the 59-second barrier.[citation needed]
At the2008 Manchester Short Course World Championships, Coventry broke her second world record, setting a time, whilst winning the gold medal, of 4:26:52 in the 400 m IM. The following day saw Coventry win her second gold medal of the championships in the 100 m backstroke. Her time of 57:10 was a new championship record and the second-fastest time in history in the event. OnlyNatalie Coughlin has swum faster (56:51). Day three of the championships saw Coventry break another championship record in qualifying fastest for the final of the 200 m backstroke. Her time of 2:03:69 was a mere four-tenths of a second outside the current world record set byReiko Nakamura in Tokyo in 2008. Coventry then bettered this time to take her second world record of the championships by winning the final in a time of 2:00:91. She then went on to shatter the short course World Record in winning the 200 m individual medley in 2:06:13.[26]
Coventryrepresented Zimbabwe at the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing, China.[27] Coventry won the silver medal in the400 metre individual medley event on 10 August 2008, becoming the second woman to swim the medley in less than 4:30, the first beingStephanie Rice who won the gold in the same event. Coventry beat the world record by just under two seconds and was only just beaten by Rice to a new world record. Coventry, in the second semi-final of the100 m backstroke event, set a new world record of 58.77 seconds. However, in the final of that event she was beaten to the gold medal by Natalie Coughlin. Coventry was again beaten by Stephanie Rice in the200 m individual medley, despite swimming under the old world record. Coventry did defend her Olympic title in the200 m backstroke, winning gold in a world record time of 2:05.24. She was the country's flag bearer at theclosing ceremony. She was the lone member of the delegation to medal, helping win Zimbabwe's most medals at the Olympics ever.[28]
Awarded US$100,000 byPresident Mugabe for her success at the Olympics, Coventry gave that money to charity.[29]
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At the2009 World Aquatics Championships inRome, Italy, Coventry won a gold and a silver. She won the200 m backstroke world title with a world record time and came second in the400 m individual medley. She came fourth in the200 m individual medley final and eighth in the100 m backstroke final.[citation needed]
Coventry qualified for her fourthOlympic Games in the2012 Olympics inLondon, England. For the first time since 2000, Coventry did not win a medal. She finished third in her semifinal heat of the200 m individual medley, just edging her into the final, where she placed 6th with a time of 2:11.13. In the200 m backstroke, she finished outside medal contention in sixth place with a time of 2:08.18. She was designated the honor of carrying the Zimbabwean flag into theopening ceremony for the first time.[30] Previously, Coventry won four gold and four silver medals in the2015 All-Africa Games inMaputo, Mozambique.[citation needed]
Her fifth and final Olympic appearance came at the2016 Olympics inRio de Janeiro, Brazil,[31] where she repeated her 6th-place performance in the200 metre backstroke from 2012, with a time of 2:08.80. She also finished 11th in the100 metre backstroke. She retired after the 2016 Olympics, where she carried the Zimbabwean flag into the stadium during theopening ceremony for the second and final time.[32][33] In her finalAfrican Games in 2015, inBrazzaville, the Republic of the Congo, Coventry won three golds and one bronze medals.[citation needed]
On 7 September 2018, eight days before her 35th birthday, Coventry was appointedMinister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation inZimbabwe's 20-member Cabinet under PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa.[34] Her tenure has received criticism from the arts community and others due to perceived inaction and lack of support.[35] Among issues levelled against her was theConfederation of African Football's decision to ban Zimbabwe from hosting national team games in 2020 due to unsafe stadiums.[36]
Coventry was accused of having been misallocated farmland by Robert Zhuwao, former President Robert Mugabe's nephew, but was cleared after it was revealed in court that she received a different subdivision of the farm in question and that Zhuwao had abandoned his subdivision.[37] In September 2023, Coventry was re-appointed as Zimbabwe's Minister for Sports, Art and Recreation by Mnangagwa.[38] Amid criticism over her taking a position in Mnangagwa's government, which waselected in contested circumstances that year, she said "I don't think you can stand on the sidelines and scream and shout for change," and that "I believe you have to be seated at the table to try and create it."[39][40]
In 2012, Coventry was elected to theInternational Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission. She has served as anIOC member for the past eight years.[41] In 2023, she became an elected member of the IOC Executive Committee. In September 2024, she was announced as one of seven candidates in the running to succeedThomas Bach as IOC president.[42] During her campaign for the IOC presidency, Coventry stated that she supported banningtransgender women from competition in women's events. She said that "ensuring fairness in women's sport and maintaining the integrity of women's categories is essential."[43][44]
On 20 March 2025 at the144th IOC Session, she became the first woman and the first African to be elected aspresident of the IOC.[45][36] She will officially become president on 24 June, after incumbentThomas Bach steps down.[45][46] She won the election on the first ballot, with 49 votes.[47][48]
On 10 August 2013, Coventry married Tyrone Seward[49] who had been her manager since 2010.In May 2019, she gave birth to their first child.[50]
With seven Olympic medals, Coventry is the most decorated Olympian from Africa. At the time of her retirement, she had tied withKrisztina Egerszegi for having won the most individual Olympic medals in women's swimming.[51] This feat has since been surpassed byKatie Ledecky.[52] Coventry competed at five Olympics, from 2000 to 2016. As of 2024, she has won all but one ofZimbabwe's Olympic medals.[53]
She was inducted into theInternational Swimming Hall of Fame in 2023.[54]
| Event | Medal | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Notes[55] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m individual medley |  | 2:14.53 | 2002 Commonwealth Games | Manchester, England | 30 July 2002 | CR |
| 100 m backstroke |  | 1:00.50 | 2004 Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 16 August 2004 | AF |
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:09.19 | 20 August 2004 | AF | ||
| 200 m individual medley |  | 2:12.72 | 17 August 2004 | |||
| 100 m backstroke | | 1:00.24 | 2005 World Aquatics Championships | Montreal, Canada | 26 July 2005 | |
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:08.52 | 30 July 2005 | |||
| 200 m individual medley | | 2:11.13 | 25 July 2005 | |||
| 400 m individual medley | | 4:39.72 | 31 July 2005 | |||
| 50 m backstroke | | 28.89 | 2007 All-African Games | Algiers, Algeria | 16 July 2007 | AF |
| 100 m backstroke | | 1:01.28 | 14 July 2007 | AF | ||
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:10.66 | 17 July 2007 | AF | ||
| 100 m breaststroke | | 2:10.66 | 16 July 2007 | |||
| 50 m freestyle | | 2:11.13 | 18 July 2007 | |||
| 800 m freestyle | | 8:43.89 | 14 July 2007 | AF | ||
| 200 m individual medley | | 2:13.02 | 18 July 2007 | AF | ||
| 400 m individual medley | | 4:39.91 | 12 July 2007 | AF | ||
| 400 m 4 × 200 m freestyle | | 8:38.20 | 14 July 2007 | NR | ||
| 400 m 4 × 100 m medley | | 4:21.60 | 18 July 2007 | NR | ||
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:07.54 | 2007 World Aquatics Championships | Melbourne, Australia | 26 March 2007 | |
| 200 m individual medley | | 2:10.76 | 26 March 2007 | |||
| 100 m backstroke | | 59.19 | 2008 Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | 12 August 2008 | WR (h) |
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:05.24 | 12 August 2008 | WR | ||
| 200 m individual medley | | 2:08.59 | 13 August 2008 | AF | ||
| 400 m individual medley | | 4:29.89 | 10 August 2008 | AF | ||
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:04.81 | 2009 World Aquatics Championships | Rome, Italy | 1 August 2009 | WR |
| 400 m individual medley | | 4:32.12 | 2 August 2009 | |||
| 100 m backstroke | | 1:00.86 | 2011 All-Africa Games | Maputo, Mozambique | 7 September 2011 | AR |
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:12.40 | 10 September 2011 | |||
| 100 m butterfly | | 1:02.20 | 8 September 2011 | |||
| 200 m individual medley | | 2:13.70 | 9 September 2011 | |||
| 400 m individual medley | | 4:44.34 | 5 September 2011 | |||
| 400 m 4 × 100 m freestyle | | 3:57.81 | 7 September 2011 | |||
| 400 m 4 × 200 m freestyle | | 8:42.23 | 5 September 2011 | |||
| 400 m 4 × 100 m medley | | 4:24.01 | 10 September 2011 | |||
| 100 m backstroke | | 1:01.15 | 2015 African Games | Brazzaville, Republic of Congo | 8 September 2015 | AR |
| 200 m backstroke | | 2:13.29 | 11 September 2015 | |||
| 200 m individual medley | | 2:16.05 | 10 September 2015 |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's 100 metre backstroke world record holder (long course) 11 August 2008 – 27 July 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 200 metre backstroke world record holder (long course) 16 February 2008 – 5 July 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Margaret Hoelzer | Women's 200 metre backstroke world record holder (long course) 16 August 2008 – 3 August 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 200-metre backstroke world record-holder (short course) 11 April 2008 – 14 November 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by First award Suzaan van Biljon Mandy Loots Karin Prinsloo | African Swimmer of the Year 2004, 2005 2007, 2008, 2009 2011, 2012 2015, 2016 | Succeeded by |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Preceded by | Flagbearer for Zimbabwe 2012 London 2016 Rio de Janeiro | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President-elect of theInternational Olympic Committee 2025–present | Incumbent |
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