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After winning four gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Kirsty Coventry was awarded US$100,000 by Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. This was a substantial amount of money, considering that the average Zimbabwean earned around US$1,000 per year at the time. The award was given in recognition of Coventry's achievements, which were seen as a source of pride for Zimbabwe.