Date of Birth: September 16, 1983 Nationality: Zimbabwean Olympic Participation: Athens 2004 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze), Beijing

2008 (1 Gold, 3 Silver), London 2012

The Bronze medal won by Coventry in 2004 was only Zimbabwe's second Olympic medal. She followed it up with the other two. After her performance in Beijing four years later, Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, called her 'a golden girl' and gifted her $100,000.
These were some champions of the water. Countless others have, no doubt, been left out, but that doesn't make their achievements any less special. As any Olympian will tell you, you have to be a champion to just compete in the Olympics, let alone win.

 Natalie Coughlin

Date of Birth: August 23, 1982 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Athens 2004 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze), Beijing 2008 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze), London 2012 (1 Bronze) Coughlin became the first female American athlete to win 6 medals in one Olympics tournament in 2008. She is also the most decorated female American athlete, with 12 medals, an honor shared with Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres.

 Krisztina Egerszegi

Date of Birth: August 16, 1974 Nationality: Hungarian Olympic Participation: Seoul (1 Gold, 1 Silver), Barcelona 1992 (3 Gold), Atalanta 1996 (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)
Egerszegi became one of the youngest Olympic champions in history when she won the 200 m backstroke discipline in the 1988 games. She remained the youngest female swimming champion until the 1992 Olympics. As mentioned earlier, she is, along with Dawn Fraser and Michael Phelps, one of only three swimmers to win the same event in 3 successive Olympic tournaments. She was the Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year from 1988 to 1993, and then again in 1996. She was World Swimmer of the Year 3 times, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2001. Weirdly, she retired from the sport after the Atlanta Games, aged just 22.

 Mary T. Meagher

Date of Birth: October 27, 1964 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Los Angeles 1984 (3 Gold), Seoul 1988 (1 Bronze) Named 'Madame Butterfly', she set a record in 1981 in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly event. Later, she won gold medals in the Summer Olympics in 1984 in the 200-meter and the 100-meter butterfly events, plus another gold for the butterfly leg of the medley relay for women. Then, in 1988 Olympics, held in Seoul, she won a bronze in the 200-meter butterfly. Meagher, unfortunately, missed the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to a US-led boycott.

 Inge de Bruijn

Date of Birth: August 24, 1973 Nationality: Dutch Olympic Participation: Sydney 2000 (3 Gold, 1 Silver), Athens 2004 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) Inge de Bruijn is the most decorated Dutch Olympian. In addition to that, she has more combined Olympic and World Aquatic Championship titles (9) than any other female player. She was named Female Swimmer of the Year in 2000 and 2001 by Swimming World.

 Jennifer Beth Thompson

Date of Birth: February 26, 1973 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Barcelona 1992 (2 Gold, 1 Silver), Atalanta 1996 (3 Gold), Sydney 2000 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze), Athens 2004 (2 Silver) She has won 12 Olympic medals, which includes 8 golds, making her the most decorated female American Olympian in history. She was the USA Swimmer of the Year in 1993 and 1998, and Women's Sports Foundation's Athlete of the Year in 2000.

 Dawn Fraser

Date of Birth: September 4, 1937 Nationality: Australian Olympic Participation: Melbourne 1956 (2 Gold, 1 Silver), Rome 1960 (1 Gold, 2 Silver), Tokyo 1964 (1 Gold, 1 Silver) Dawn Fraser is regarded as the greatest female swimmer in the world, being the first woman who swam the 100-meter event in less than a minute. When she was 12 years old, in 1952, a Sydney coach at one of the local baths spotted her. Fraser earned acclaim in 1955 when she broke existing records in the freestyle events right up to 880 yards. She shot into international fame at the Melbourne Olympics held in 1956 when she broke the 100-meter freestyle record, which was set 20 years back by Willy den Ouden. When she was just 18, she won 3 medals from her first Olympic games. She became the first of only three swimmers, along with Michael Phelps and Krisztina Egerszegi, in Olympic history to have won the gold medal in the same discipline for 3 successive Olympic games when she won the 100 m freestyle event in 1964.

Annette Kellerman Annette Marie Sarah Kellerman (6 July 1886 6 November 1975) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville and film star, and writer. She was one of the first women to wear a one-piece bathing costume, instead of the thenaccepted pantaloons, and inspired others to follow her example. In 1907 the swimmer Annette Kellerman from Australia visited the United States as an "Underwater Ballerina", a version of Synchronized swimming, diving into glass tanks. She was arrested for indecent exposure, as her swimsuit showed arms, legs and the neck. Kellerman changed the suit to have long arms and legs, and a collar, still keeping the close fit revealing the shapes underneath. She later starred in several movies, including one about her life.

 Aaron Peirsol

Date of Birth: July 23, 1983 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Athens 2004 (3 Gold), Beijing 2008 (2 Gold, 1 Silver) Peirsol won all 3 of his individual gold medals in backstroke events, the other 2 coming via 4X100 m medley relay. He holds the world record for 100 m and 200 m backstroke.

 Ryan Lochte

Date of Birth: August 3, 1984 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Athens 2004 (1 Gold, 1 Silver), Beijing 2008 (2 Gold, 2 Bronze), London 2012 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
In an era that has seen unprecedented domination by Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte has certainly managed to hold his own. Lochte currently holds the world record for the 200 m and 400 m medley. He has been named the Swimmer of the Year, as well as American Swimmer of the Year, for 2010 and 2011.

 Matt Biondi

Date of Birth: October 8, 1965 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Los Angeles 1984 (1 Gold), Seoul 1988 (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze), Barcelona 1992 (2 Gold, 1 Silver) Born in 1965, Matthew Nicholas Biondi has won 11 Olympic medals, participating in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics. He equaled Mark Spitz's feat of winning 7 medals (although all of Spitz's medals were gold) in a single edition of the Olympic Games in 1988. Biondi won 5 golds in Seoul, while he set records in four of the events.

 Johnny Weissmuller

Date of Birth: June 2, 1904 Nationality: American (Born in Hungary) Olympic Participation: Paris 1924 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze), Amsterdam 1928 (2 Gold)

Johnny 'Tarzan' Weissmuller, better known as the actor who portrayed 'Tarzan', was one of the best swimmers of the world during the 1920s. He won 5 Olympic gold medals as well as a bronze medal. He also set 67 world records, a record in itself. Most people would remember him better as Tarzan or Jungle Jim, but Weissmuller's achievements in the swimming pool have earned him a permanent place in Olympic history.

 Mark Spitz

Date of Birth: February 10, 1950 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Mexico City 1968 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze), Munich 1972 (7 Gold) Mark Spitz ruled the water world before a certain Mr. Phelps came along. Spitz shot to fame when he won 7 gold medals at the 1972 Olympics held in Munich, an achievement only surpassed by Phelps at the 2008 Games. Spitz, though, set world records in all the seven events he participated in, a record that still stands. Widely regarded among the greatest athletes of all time, he was named the swimmer of the year in 1969, 1971, and 1972. Sports Illustrated magazine voted him one of the greatest Olympians and the athlete of the century in 2000. In addition, the International Olympic Committee has named him as one of the 5 athletes of the century. He is, along with Phelps, Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis and Larisa Latynina, one of only five Olympians to have won 9 gold

 Ian Thorpe

Date of Birth: October 13, 1982 Nationality: Australian Olympic Participation: Sydney 2000 (3 Gold, 2 Silver), Athens 2004 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) Ian Thorpe is, without doubt, one of the greatest swimmers ever, if not one of the greatest athletes. No other Australian has been able to match his Olympic gold tally. In addition to that, he has been nominated four times as the World Swimmer of the Year by the Swimming World International magazine.

 Michael Phelps

Date of Birth: June 30, 1985 Nationality: American Olympic Participation: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 (6 Gold, 2 Bronze), Beijing 2008 (8 Gold), London 2012 (4 Gold, 2 Silver)
He is a holder of world records in a number of categories. Amongst his achievements are the 8 gold medals he won at the Summer Olympics of 2008 held in Beijing, the highest gold medal haul in a single Olympic by any athlete. His total of 22 Olympic medals is also a world record, with his 18 gold medals standing head and shoulders above the best of the rest. He was named the World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007. Phelps announced his retirement from the sport after the 2012 London Olympics, leaving his name carved in golden letters in the very highest echelons of Olympic folklore.

 Matthew Webb

-Captain Matthew Webb was the first man to swim the English Channel (between England and France), in 1875. He used breaststroke, swimming 21.26 miles (34.21 km) in 21 hours and 45 minutes. No other man or woman swam the channel for the next 31 years. He died in 1882 while attempting to swim the Niagara Falls.

 Alfred Hajos of Hungary -Hajs was born in Budapest, Hungary, as Arnold Guttmann. He was 13 years old when he felt compelled to become a good swimmer after his father drowned in the Danube River. He took the name Hajs (sailor in Hungarian) for his athletic career because it was a Hungarian name. At the 1896 Games, the swimming events were held in the Mediterranean

Sea battling the elements. The 18-year old Hajs won his two gold medalsin extremely cold weather with 12-foot waves crashing down on him. He won the 100 metre freestyle with a time of 1:22.2, and the 1,200 metre freestyle in 18:22.1. Hajs wanted to win all three distances, but the 500 metre freestyle was immediately after the 100 and immediately before the 1,200. Before the 1,200 metre race, he smeared his body with a half-inch thick layer of grease, but it proved to be of little protection against the cold

 Austrian Paul Neumann

Neumann was Jewish, and born in Vienna. He competed in the 500 and 1,200 metres freestyle events. He won the 500 with a time of 8:12.6, benefitting from the withdrawal of Alfred Hajs from the event. Hajs had just won the 100 metres, and skipped the 500 in order to prepare for the 1,200. Neumann had no opportunity to rest between the 500 and the 1,200. As a result, he was unable to finish the longer race. In 1897, he set world records at 2, 3, 4, and 5 miles. He immigrated to the U.S. after the 1896 Olympic Games. There, he became a physician, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy.

 Ioannis Malokinis

-Ioannis Malokinis (1880 1942) was a Greek swimmer. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. His home island was Spetses. Malokinis competed in the 100 metres freestyle for sailors event. He placed first of three swimmers, with a time of 2:20.4. This time was nearly a minute slower than the mark of 1:22.2 set by Alfred Hajs in the open 100 metres event.

John Arthur Jarvis John Arthur Jarvis (24 February 1872 9 May 1933) was a British swimmer who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He participated in Swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won two gold medals in the 1000 metre and the 4000 m freestyle events. Jarvis was born in Leicester. Jarvis entered the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968.

Richmond Cavill -Richmond Cavill "Dick" Eve (19 March 1901 13 March 1969) was an Australian diver who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics. In 1924 he won the gold medal in the plain high diving competition. He also competed in the 3 metre springboard event and finished fifth. He was the first Australian Olympic diver to win Gold. Richmond Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world The Trudgen was improved by Australian-born Richmond Cavill. Cavill, whose father Frederick Cavill narrowly failed to swim the English Channel, is credited with developing the stroke by observing a young boy from the Solomon Island, Alick Wickham. Cavill and his brothers were all champion swimmers and formed arguably the greatest swimming dynasty. They spread the Australian crawl to England, New Zealand and America. Richmond - or Dick as he was better known - used this stroke in 1902 at an International Championships in England to set a new world record by out swimming all Trudgen swimmers over the 100 yards in 0:58.4

Harry Hebner -Harry Joseph Hebner (June 15, 1891 October 12, 1968) was an American competition swimmer and water polo player who represented the United States at the 1908 Summer Olympics, 1912 Summer Olympics and 1920 Summer Olympics. In 1912 he was the Olympic champion in 100 metre backstroke. As part of the American relay team, he won a bronze medal in 1908. In 1912 he won the silver medal with the American relay team. He also participated in the 100 metre freestyle competition. In 1908 he was eliminated in the semi-finals and in 1912 he was eliminated in the first round. In 1920 he was a member of the American water polo team finished fourth.

Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 January 22, 1968) was an American competition swimmer who was also known as an actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. Kahanamoku was a fivetime Olympic medalist in swimming.