FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Two of Auburn Swimming and Diving's living legends were inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame over the weekend. Both Kirsty Coventry and Cesar Cielo received the honor on Saturday.
Coventry was a standout for the Tigers the moment she walked on campus at Auburn. Helping the Orange and Blue to its first National Championship in a Women's sport in 2002, the Zimbabwe native also aided the Tigers to two more Team Titles in 2003 and 2004 and was the top individual point scorer at the 2005 Championships. In total, Coventry racked up seven national titles, 25 All-American honors, was named the SEC Swimmer of the Year as well as the conference Female Athlete of the Year in 2004-05, and picked up the Honda Sports Award in 2005, recognizing the most outstanding female swimming of the year. Her 200 back record on the Plains still stands to this day.
Upon graduating, Coventry was far from finished collecting titles. She would go on to become the most decorated Olympian from the continent of Africa, winning two gold medals, four silvers and one bronze across her illustrious career. Seven of the eight Olympic medals for Zimbabwe belong to Coventry. A five-time world record holder, she also owns eight long course World Championship medals and five from short course.
Today, Coventry serves as the Sports Minister of Zimbabwe, a role she's been appointed to since September 2018.
Like Coventry, Cesar Cielo was one of the most electric swimmers to ever put on the Orange and Blue cap. To this day, Cielo still owns Auburn records in both the 50 and 100 free. No Tiger swimmer has more NCAA titles (10) than Cielo. The Brazilian also piled up 19 All-American honors, the seventh-most in Auburn history.
Along with his numerous NCAA accolades, including the 2007 and 2008 Swimmer of the Year, Cielo quickly started to make waves on the international stage. Not only did Cielo break numerous world records but he also captured an Olympic Gold medal in the 50 free at the 2008 games in Beijing as well as two other Bronze medals throughout his career. He'd also add six World Championship golds in long course, five in short course and seven at the Pan American Games.
Cielo goes down as one of the greatest sprinters the sport has ever seen and the most successful Brazilian swimmer to date. His 2009 World Record in the 50 free (20.91) still stands.