The Sunday News
4 August 2012
HOPES for yet another Olympic gold medal for Zimbabwe were shattered when Kirsty Coventry came sixth in the 200 metres backstroke finals at the London Olympics last Friday night.
Coventry, who had won the gold at the lat two Olympics, and had held the world record in the event was tipped off her title and record by 17-year-old American Missy Franklin who finished first in two minutes 04,06 seconds, three quarters of a second less than Coventry’s world record. Russian Anastasia Zueva won the silver medal and American Elizabeth Beisel the bronze.
Earlier on during the week, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart hailed Coventry for having done well despite the challenges that she had faced to reach the finals. Coltart was quoted in the media saying that “Coventry’s spirited performance, in the face of so many challenges, epitomised the grit and the determination of Zimbabwean sports competitorsâ€.