Kirsty smashes venerable 200m backstroke record

Kirsty smashes venerable 200m backstroke record

• Coventry wins 7th All Africa Games gold

• Coventry claims 2 gold medals at All Africa Games

• It's Kirsty again!

• Mugabe gives Coventry diplomatic passport

• Zim rolls out red carpet for Coventry

• Your shouts on Coventry's victory

• Coventry unites nation

• Mugabe leads tributes after Coventry stunner

• Zimbabwe heroine Coventry wins Olympic gold

• Heroine Coventry clinches second medal for Zim

• Coventry wins Olympic silver

By Sports Reporter

KIRSTY Coventry broke the women's 200m backstroke world record in Columbia on Saturday with a time of 2min 06.39sec at the Missouri Grand Prix long course swimming meeting.

The Zimbabwean Olympic champion broke the second-oldest swimming record in the book with her effort in Missouri.

Coventry improved on Krisztina Egerszegi's record of 2:06.62, which the Hungarian set in Athens on August 25, 1991 - the second oldest record on the books.

The oldest swimming world mark is American Janet Evans' 800m freestyle record, which has stood since 1989.

"This is the first time I've swam [finals] in the morning," Coventry told The Associated Press. "Usually, I swim a lot faster at night."

Meet organisers elected to hold the finals session in the morning, given that each finals session at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, will be held in the morning.

At the Beijing Olympics, the 24-year-old Coventry hopes to defend the 200m backstroke gold she won in Athens four years ago - giving Zimbabwe its first Olympic swimming gold.

She also won a silver and a bronze in Athens, where she finished second in the 100m back and third in the 200m individual medley.

Coventry, who trains under Texas head women's swimming and diving coach Kim Brackin, has been aiming to break the record. Brackin admits it came sooner than expected.

"I am stunned and thrilled," Brackin said. "I had no idea Kirsty was ready to swim that fast, or I would have been there! It has been our goal (to set a new world record) since going into the Japan meet (December, 2007), and Kirsty has worked every day toward it. She is stronger, more focused than ever and has refined her stroke."

Coventry’s notable feats to date:
2007 ALL AFRICA GAMES
Gold in the 200-meter IM (2:13.02 CR)
Gold in the 400-meter IM (4:39.91 CR)
Gold in the 50-meter freestyle (26.19)
Gold in the 800-meter freestyle (8:43.89 CR)
Gold in the 50-meter backstroke (28.89 AR)
Gold in the 100-meter backstroke (1:01.28 CR)
Gold in the 200-meter backstroke (2:10.66 CR)
Silver in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:11.86)
Silver in the 4x100-meter medley (4:21.60 NR)
Silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle (8:38.20 NR)

2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Silver in the 200-meter backstroke (2:07.54)
Silver in the 200-meter IM (2:10.74)

2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gold in the 100-meter backstroke (1:00.24)
Gold in the 200-meter backstroke (2:08.52)
Silver in the 200-meter IM (2:11.13)
Silver in the 400-meter IM (4:39.72)

2004 OLYMPICS
Bronze in the 200-meter IM (2:12.72) - Zimbabwe's
second Olympic medal
Gold in the 200-meter backstroke (2:09.19) - Zimbabwe's first Olympic gold
Silver in the 100-meter backstroke (1:00.50)
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