Kirsty Coventry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Her Excellency Kirsty Coventry OLY
Coventry at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics
10th President of the International Olympic Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 June 2025
Preceded by	Thomas Bach
Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation of Zimbabwe
In office 10 September 2018 – 25 March 2025
President	Emmerson Mnangagwa
Deputy	Yeukai Simbanegavi Emily Jesaya
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 ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	2
Alma mater	Auburn University (BS)
Personal information Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) Weight 64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st) Sport Sport Swimming Strokes Backstroke, individual medley Club Longhorn Aquatics College team Auburn University Coach Sharon Freeman, Dean Price, Kim Brackin, David Marsh Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Zimbabwe Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 200 m backstroke Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m backstroke Silver 2004 Athens 100 m backstroke Silver 2008 Beijing 100 m backstroke Silver 2008 Beijing 200 m medley Silver 2008 Beijing 400 m medley Bronze 2004 Athens 200 m medley World Championships (LC) Gold 2005 Montreal 100 m backstroke Gold 2005 Montreal 200 m backstroke Gold 2009 Rome 200 m backstroke Silver 2005 Montreal 200 m medley Silver 2005 Montreal 400 m medley Silver 2007 Melbourne 200 m backstroke Silver 2007 Melbourne 200 m medley Silver 2009 Rome 400 m medley World Championships (SC) Gold 2008 Manchester 400 m medley Gold 2008 Manchester 100 m backstroke Gold 2008 Manchester 200 m backstroke Gold 2008 Manchester 200 m medley Bronze 2008 Manchester 100 m medley Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester 200 m medley African Games Gold 2007 Algiers 50 m freestyle Gold 2007 Algiers 800 m freestyle Gold 2007 Algiers 50 m backstroke Gold 2007 Algiers 100 m backstroke Gold 2007 Algiers 200 m backstroke Gold 2007 Algiers 200 m medley Gold 2007 Algiers 400 m medley Gold 2011 Maputo 100 m backstroke Gold 2011 Maputo 200 m backstroke Gold 2011 Maputo 200 m medley Gold 2011 Maputo 400 m medley Gold 2015 Brazzaville 100 m backstroke Gold 2015 Brazzaville 200 m backstroke Gold 2015 Brazzaville 200 m medley Silver 2007 Algiers 100 m breaststroke Silver 2007 Algiers 4 × 100 m medley Silver 2007 Algiers 4 × 200 m freestyle Silver 2011 Maputo 100 m butterfly Silver 2011 Maputo 4 × 100 m medley Silver 2011 Maputo 4 × 100 m freestyle Silver 2011 Maputo 4 × 200 m freestyle Bronze 2015 Brazzaville 4 × 100 m mixed medley

Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (born 16 September 1983) is a famous swimmer and politician from Zimbabwe. She became the President of the IOC in June 2025. She is the first woman and the first person from Africa to hold this important position.

Before leading the IOC, Kirsty Coventry was a government minister in Zimbabwe. She served as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation from 2018 to 2025. As an Olympic swimmer, she holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by an African athlete.

Kirsty Coventry was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. She studied and swam at Auburn University in the United States. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, she won three Olympic medals: one gold, one silver, and one bronze. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she won four more medals: one gold and three silver.

After her amazing performance in 2008, people in Zimbabwe called her a "national treasure" and "a golden girl." She retired from swimming in 2016 after competing in five Olympic Games. She is now a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was chosen to lead the IOC Athletes' Commission in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Kirsty Coventry was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 16 September 1983. She went to Dominican Convent High School, which is a private school for girls in Harare. Later, she attended Auburn University in the United States. In 2006, she earned a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Auburn.

Swimming Achievements

Early Olympic and Commonwealth Success

Kirsty Coventry first competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney while still in high school. She was the first Zimbabwean swimmer to reach the semifinals at the Olympics. She also broke national and African records in different events.

In 2002, she won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Her time of 2:14.53 in the 200-meter individual medley set a new Commonwealth Games record.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Kirsty won three medals. She took home a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke, setting a new African record. She also won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke and a bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley. These three medals were the only ones Zimbabwe won at those Olympics.

College Swimming Career

While studying at Auburn University in the United States, Kirsty Coventry was a key swimmer for the Tigers team. She helped them win NCAA Championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, she was the top individual scorer at the NCAA Championships, winning three titles. She was recognized as the best college female swimmer of the year.

World Championships Medals

Kirsty continued her success at the World Championships. In 2005, in Montreal, Canada, she won two gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke events. She also earned two silver medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley.

At the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, she won two silver medals. Later that year, at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, Kirsty had an incredible performance, winning seven gold medals and three silver medals.

Breaking World Records

In 2008, Kirsty Coventry broke her first world record in the 200m backstroke. Her new record was 2:06:39. She also became one of the few women to swim the 100m backstroke in under 59 seconds.

At the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships in Manchester, she broke two more world records. She set new records in the 400m individual medley and the 200m backstroke. She also won gold in the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Kirsty Coventry represented Zimbabwe at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She won a silver medal in the 400m individual medley, setting a new African record. She also set a world record in the 100m backstroke semifinal, though she won silver in the final.

She won another silver in the 200m individual medley. Kirsty successfully defended her Olympic title in the 200m backstroke, winning gold with a new world record time of 2:05.24. She was the flag bearer for Zimbabwe at the closing ceremony.

Coventry in 2009

Later World Championships and Olympics

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy, Kirsty won a gold medal in the 200m backstroke, setting another world record. She also won a silver medal in the 400m individual medley.

Kirsty competed in her fourth Olympics at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She reached the finals in the 200m individual medley and 200m backstroke. She had the honor of carrying the Zimbabwean flag at the opening ceremony for the first time.

Her fifth and final Olympic appearance was at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She finished 6th in the 200m backstroke. She carried the Zimbabwean flag again at the opening ceremony. After these games, she retired from competitive swimming.

Political Career

On 7 September 2018, Kirsty Coventry was appointed as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in Zimbabwe's government. She served under President Emmerson Mnangagwa. In September 2023, she was re-appointed to a similar role.

Kirsty has stated that she believes in working from within the government to create change. She said, "I don't think you can stand on the sidelines and scream and shout for change. I believe you have to be seated at the table to try and create it."

Leading the International Olympic Committee

IOC Roles and Election

In 2012, Kirsty Coventry was chosen to be part of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission. She has been an IOC member since 2013. In 2023, she was elected to the IOC Executive Board.

In September 2024, she was announced as one of the candidates to become the next IOC president.

Becoming IOC President

On 20 March 2025, at the 144th IOC Session, Kirsty Coventry made history. She became the first woman and the first African person to be elected as the president of the IOC. She officially started her role on 23 June 2025, taking over from Thomas Bach.

Kirsty won the election on the very first vote, receiving 49 votes. She competed against six other candidates from different countries.

Election of the 10th IOC President
Candidate	Results
Kirsty Coventry	49
Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs	28
Sebastian Coe	8
David Lappartient	4
Morinari Watanabe	4
Johan Eliasch	2
Prince Faisal bin Hussein	2

After her election, Kirsty was warmly welcomed by IOC members at the Olympic House in Lausanne on 7 April 2025.

Her Vision as President

As IOC president, Kirsty Coventry wants to make the Olympics a symbol of togetherness and fairness. She aims to ensure the Games are open to everyone, no matter their background. She believes in using sports to connect people worldwide.

Kirsty also plans to support athletes and promote fairness in sports. She has stated her support for ensuring fair competition in women's sports.

Personal Life

On 10 August 2013, Kirsty Coventry married Tyrone Seward, who had been her manager since 2010. In May 2019, they welcomed their first child.

Swimming Records and Appearances

With seven Olympic medals, Kirsty Coventry is the most decorated Olympian from Africa. When she retired, she had won the joint-most individual Olympic medals in women's swimming. She competed in five Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016. As of 2024, she has won almost all of Zimbabwe's Olympic medals.

She was honored by being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2023.

Event	Medal	Time	Meet	Location	Date	Notes
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
4 × 200 m freestyle		8:38.20			14 July 2007	NR
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
4 × 100 m freestyle		3:57.81			7 September 2011
4 × 200 m freestyle		8:42.23			5 September 2011
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

See also

In Spanish: Kirsty Coventry para niños

• World record progression 100 metres backstroke
• World record progression 200 metres backstroke
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)