Evan Stewart

When you think of powerhouse nations in competitive diving, Zimbabwe probably doesn't immediately leap to mind. Yet in the 1990s, Harare-born Evan Stewart was out there defying both gravity and geopolitical expectations, flipping off springboards with the best of them.

Stewart reached the pinnacle of his sport when he captured a world championship on the 1-meter springboard in 1994, followed by gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He also represented Zimbabwe at three consecutive Olympic Games from Barcelona to Sydney. Athletic prowess was definitely in his blood; his mother, Anthea Stewart, won an Olympic gold medal with Zimbabwe's legendary "Golden Girls" field hockey team in Moscow in 1980.

Which brings us to the pressing question: is there any Jewish connection here? Stewart is of standard British-Rhodesian heritage, and despite the endless scouring of aquatic record books and southern African diaspora rolls, there is zero evidence of Jewish ancestry or affiliation.

So while he gave Zimbabwe plenty to cheer for every time he cut through the water with minimal splash, there's no kvelling to be had here. Just a very athletic, very non-Jewish guy who happened to be exceptionally good at diving.