| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 1 | 200m Backstroke | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 2:05.24 |
| 1 | 200m Backstroke | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 2:09.19 |
| 2 | 100m Backstroke | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 59.19 |
| 2 | 200m Individual Medley | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 2:08.59 |
| 2 | 400m Individual Medley | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 4:29.89 |
| 2 | 100m Backstroke | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 1:00.50 |
| 3 | 200m Individual Medley | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 2:12.72 |
| Semifinal | 100m Backstroke | 2000 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 1:02.54 |
| Heats | 50m Freestyle | 2000 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 26.58 |
| Heats | 100m Freestyle | 2000 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 57.47 |
| Heats | 200m Individual Medley | 2000 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 2:17.73 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | 200m Backstroke | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 2:04.81 |
| 1 | 100m Backstroke | 2005 | Montreal, QC, CAN | 1:00.24 |
| 1 | 200m Backstroke | 2005 | Montreal, QC, CAN | 2:08.52 |
| 2 | 400m Individual Medley | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 4:32.12 |
| 2 | 200m Backstroke | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 2:07.54 |
| 2 | 200m Individual Medley | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 2:10.76 |
| 2 | 200m Individual Medley | 2005 | Montreal, QC, CAN | 2:11.13 |
| 2 | 400m Individual Medley | 2005 | Montreal, QC, CAN | 4:39.72 |
| 4 | 200m Individual Medley | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 2:08.94 |
| 8 | 100m Backstroke | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 59.74 |
| Semifinal | 200m Backstroke | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 2:09.33 |
| Semifinal | 200m Individual Medley | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 2:12.21 |
| Heats | 400m Individual Medley | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 4:42.52 |
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Business, Hospitality Management - Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
Coach
Dean Price (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 20 Apr 2011)
Position and style
Backstroke (auburntigers.com, 11 Jul 2003)
Debut
2000 (kirstycoventry.org, 12 Jul 2011)
Injuries
She missed four months of training at the start of the 2005/06 season after injuring her knee at a World Cup meet in Sydney, Australia. (Fina Aquatics World, 01 Nov 2007)
Additional information
Reason for taking up this sport
Her parents and her friends were all swimmers so she decided to join in. (cstv.com, 12 Jul 2004)
Ambitions
To keep improving on her best times and challenge herself in training. (FINA World Aquatics Magazine, Feb 2010)
Training
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays she is in the pool from 6:00 to 8:00. She then does home workouts with a medicine and Pilates ball before heading back to the pool between 15:00 and 17:00. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to cardio cross training and weights, as well as an afternoon swim. On Saturdays she only swims. (FINA World Aquatics Magazine, 20 Apr 2011)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Breaking the 200m backstroke world record in Rome in 2009. Everyone else had switched to the newer, faster suits but she chose to stay loyal to her sponsor, Speedo. (kirstycoventry.org, 12 Jul 2011)
Most influential person in career
Coach Kim Brackin. (Fina Aquatics World, 01 Nov 2007)
Superstitions / Rituals
Before events she tries to stay relaxed by surrounding herself with people that make her laugh. (FINA World Aquatics Magazine, Feb 2010)
Awards
Received the Best Female Swimmer of the Meet award at the 2008 World Short Course Championships in Manchester, England. She won all of Zimbabwe's medals and the country managed to rank 3rd in the final medal tally. (The Harare Herald, 27 May 2008; abc.net.au, 11 Jun 2008)
Named as Swimming World Magazine's African Swimmer of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2007. (swimmingworldmagazine.com, 03 Jun 2008)
Named Female Swimmer of the Meet at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, Canada. (swimming.org.au, 30 Nov 2005)
Named as Zimbabwe's Sportsperson of the Year for 2005 and 2006. (thezimbabwestandard.com, 30 Jan 2005; zimgreats.com, 08 Mar 2007)
Her gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece were the first individual Olympic medals in Zimbabwe's history. (Speedo, 12 Jan 2007)
General
GONE AND BACK AGAIN
She retired after the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome but decided to come back to swimming and try to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 20 Apr 2011)
U.S. RESIDENCE
She moved to the United States because of the lack of funding and facilities at home. (abc.net.au, 11 Jun 2008)
TEAM ZIMBABWE
At the 2008 World Short Course Championships in Manchester, England her total of five medals [four gold, one bronze] was enough to place her and Zimbabwe fourth on the championships' medal table behind only the United States, Australia and the Netherlands. (m2008.org, 19 May 2008)
NATIONAL TREASURE
After her results at the 2008 World Short Course Championships in Manchester, England, President Robert Mugabe called her "a golden girl" despite his tough stance towards minority whites.
After winning three medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, she returned to Zimbabwe and was hailed as a national treasure. She was greeted at Harare's main airport by beating drums and tribal dancers along with hundreds of chanting fans waving banners. "I am so full of pride and feel honoured so many people have come out to see me," she said. "I am very excited to be given a chance to come home and share it with everyone here." Many new babies were named Kirsty, with the middle name of Coventry, in her honour, while others were even called 'Goldmedal' or 'Threemedals'. (USA Today, 12 Jan 2007; news24.com, 30 Apr 2008; abc.net.au, 11 Jun 2008)
CHARITY
She was awarded US$100,000 as a result of her performances at the Beijing Olympic Games. She later donated some of the money to charity. (int.iol.co.za, 12 Jul 2011)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000
