Zimbabwean sets swimming world record

Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe’s most successful Olympian has now set a new world record in the 200 backstroke

Kirsty set the record at the Missouri Grand Prix on Saturday the 16th February and the new time to beat is two minutes 6.39 seconds. She finished more than four seconds ahead of second-placed American Margaret Hoelzer who clocked 2:10.76.

Kirsty Coventry who now lives and trains in the US, broke the previous world record set by Krisztina Egerszegi from Hungary in August 1991 by 0.23 seconds.

For the Zimbabwean, things are looking good as the Beijing Olympics approach where Coventry has had much success in the past winning the gold medal in the women’s 200 backstroke at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

source:  Zimbabwe Newspapers