Who are Zimbabwe’s Most Successful Athletes?

Zimbabwe boasts a rich sporting heritage and there have been many athletes from the African country who have tasted success at the highest level. Continue below to find out more about Zimbabwe’s most successful athletes.

Now serving as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe, Kirsty Coventry is arguably the greatest athlete to come from Zimbabwe. Coventry was a hugely successful swimmer and has won seven Olympic medals, including gold at the 2004 Athens games and 2008 Beijing games in the 200-metre backstroke. Coventry also won a silver and bronze in Athens and three silver medals in Beijing. Coventry won multiple medals at the World Aquatics Championships, World Swimming Championships, Commonwealth Games, and All-Africa Games. The swimmer won four gold medals at the 2008 World Swimming Championships in Manchester and a staggering total of 14 gold medals at the All-Africa Games between 2007 and 2015. Coventry also set world records during her time in the pool and in 2018 was elected the Chairperson of the IOC Athletes' Commission. There is no doubt, with such a tremendous record, that Coventry is Zimbabwe’s most successful athlete of all time.

Nick Price is a former professional golfer who enjoyed success at the highest level of the sport. Price’s first tournament win came on the Southern African Tour in 1979 and one year later he claimed his first European title at the Swiss Open. Price caused a shock when he finished tied for second place at the 1982 Open Championship and it was that event that first introduced Price to the wider golfing world. For anyone betting on that tournament, the odds-on Price to finish second were huge and would have resulted in a big win at the bookies. Price was forced to wait 10 years to claim his first major golfing title and he won the 1992 PGA Championship. He won the same event in 1994 and in the same year, Price won the Open Championship at Turnberry, finishing one stroke ahead of Jesper Parnevik. In 2003, Price cemented his status as one of the world's greatest golfers and most successful Zimbabwean athletes when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Cricket is very popular in Zimbabwe and any young bowler coming through the ranks is advised to look at the career of Heath Streak. Fantastic with both the bat and ball, Streak was an all-rounder but was at his best when bowling. Bowling right-arm fast-medium, streak is the all-time leading wicket taker for Zimbabwe in Test cricket with 216 wickets and holds the record for ODI cricket with 239 wickets. No other Zimbabwean bowler has come close to the achievements of Streak, and it took him just 25 matches to claim 100 wickets for his country. Sadly, Streak died of cancer at the age of just 49 in 2023 but will always be remembered as one of Zimbabwe’s most successful athletes.

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