Beijing - At a time in which most people who are able to are turning their backs on Zimbabwe, Kirsty Coventry is staying put. Although her homeland is ravaged by unemployment, poverty and civil unrest and has an inflation rate that goes into the hundreds of thousands, Coventry is pleased to give people back home something to cheer about.
And on Sunday, the first day at which medals were on offer at the swimming competition in the Beijing Water Cube at the Olympics, she gave her troubled homeland plenty to cheer about.
At a time when people in Zimbabwe would probably still be fast asleep (the finals of the swimming have been moved to mornings to accommodate US television stations), Coventry lined up in the women's 400 metres individual medley.
The race turned out to be the fastest-ever in the history of the sport and even though Coventry's time of 4:29.89 was more than a second under Katie Hoff's world record of 4:31.12, she finished with "only" a silver medal as gold went to Australian Stephanie Rice, who won in 4:29.45.
Coventry was gracious in defeat. "I'm just so excited about the time. Steph was just a little bit better. But it's exciting to be on the podium. And to be under the old world record, that just tops it off. My time is awesome. I am very happy, 4:29 is so fast.
"It was a tough race to get through, but Stephanie was just a bit better at finishing. Ironically, I won my first medal in Athens in lane 1 in the 100m backstroke, and here I won in lane 1, too."
In the evening session, Coventry was down to swim in the final heat. She watched as Reiko Nakamura broke Natalie Coughlin's Olympic record. The Japanese swimmer managed a 59.36 to beat Coughlin's time of 59.68.
But Nakamura's record lasted just a few minutes as Coventry swam a 59 flat - just 03 off the world record.
Coventry, who is probably the only exportable "commodity" Zimbabwe still has on offer, already has six medals from the world championships and won a clean sweep of medals in Athens four years ago.
She was afterwards declared a national treasure by the head of the country's Olympic body, while President Robert Mugabe called her the country's golden girl.
Mugabe's statement rang hollow for many white Zimbabweans as the aged politician, who has been accused of rigging elections to cling to power, has often blamed whites for the country's ills.
For Coventry, who returns to the southern African country as often as she can, success is something that she is keen to give back to the people of Zimbabwe.
"Part of the reason that I am still swimming and still motivated is the raising of my country's flag high and to shine a positive light on the people back home.
"Every time I go down the street, people on the street say good luck to me. I don't think there are a lot of athletes who have their whole country supporting them."
The 24-year-old left Zimbabwe in 2002 to take up a scholarship at Auburn University, but still has many family members living there. Her parents are in Beijing to watch her swim.
"They weren't able to be in Athens, there was a mix-up, so this is their first Olympics. They are really excited. They have had their phones ringing non-stop. Everyone's excited back home and that means a lot to me."
Not surprisingly, Coventry has no intention of quitting Zimbabwe. "I will not stop representing my country. Zimbabwe is where I was born, my parents live there and I go back as often as I can and I will never not represent Zimbabwe as long as I'm swimming.
"I guess when I stop swimming, that is when I'll stop representing Zimbabwe."
And until such time, Zimbabweans, who are used to bad news, can at least hope for some good news from their national treasure.
