Olympic Highlights You Might Have Missed, Part II: Zimbabwe's National Treasure

Most of us, when we think about the world of swimming in the 2008 Summer Olympics have thoughts of Michael Phelps' chasing Mark Spitz record, Katie Hoff trying to become another American female to win multiple medals, or the American 4x100 relay stunning the heavily-favored French team.

Even if you don't think about the events happening in this year's Olympic swimming, the countries that come to mind in the world of swimming would be the United States, Australia, Russia, and even China.

But have you ever thought about Zimbabwe?

You know the landlocked, southern Africa nation, formerly known Rhodesia...Zimbabwe.

You know the 151,000 square mile, 12.3 million people, and a history of violence-war- and-squalor-nation of Zimbabwe

A country that debuted in the Olympics in 1932, didn't win a medal until 1980, and currently trails Michael Phelps in all-time Olympic medals.

Zimbabwe.

Home of Kirsty Coventry.

In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Coventry won three medals, increasing her countries all-time total medals from one to four. She won gold in 200m backstroke, silver in the 100m backstroke, and bronze in the 200m individual medley.

Those would prove to be the only three medals the country would take home in the Athens Games.

When she returned home from the games Coventry was dubbed a "national treasure" and was greeted at the airport by tribal dancers and hundereds of screaming fans.

In a country still struggling from a government endorsed hate campaign against Zimbabwe's white community, this hero's welcome seemed to put an end to all that.

Coventry said the country's response was so inspiring for her that she continued to swim and once again is representing her country in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She plans to compete in the 400m and 200m individual medleys, 100m backstroke, and defend her gold in the 200m backstroke.

In her first final on Sunday morning Coventry swam the 400m individual medley as an underdog behind American Katie Hoff and Australian Stephanie Rice.

She broke the current world record held by Hoff, but so did Rice and Rice was just a bit faster; Rice (Gold), Coventry (Silver), and Hoff (Bronze).

The next morning she continued her strong swimming by breaking the world record in the semifinals of the 100m backstroke.  A record held by American Natalie Coughlin.

With the finals of the 100m backstroke next and the performances in the 200m IM and 200m backstroke still to come, Coventry looks to break her own record of three medals in 2004.

So remember that while the Americans and Aussies battle back-and-forth for pool supremacy, while Phelps makes a run at Spitz, and while Hoff maybe the new face of American female swimming, the "national treasure" is still in the small, African nation of Zimbabwe.