Women’s 200m Backstroke: Coventry finally wins gold

August 16th, 2008 | 455 Views

After winning three silver medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe finally won gold in the Women’s 200m Backstroke at the National Aquatics Center on Saturday.

And she smashed the world record for good measure.

Defending Olympic champion Coventry qualified fastest for the final and blew away her opposition from the start, turning in front at each turn under world record pace. She turned at the half way mark in 1:32.69 to come home in 32.55 to better the world record by 0.85 seconds with a time of 2:05.24.

World record holder Margaret Hoelzer of the United States was unable to reel Coventry in and finished with the silver medal in 2:06.23, 0.99 seconds behind Coventry.

Nakamura Reiko of Japan, the bronze medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2007 world championships, won the bronze medal in an Asian Record time of 2:07.13, 1.89 seconds behind the gold medal winner.

Australian Meagen Nay, who qualified third fastest for the final in an Oceania Record time of 2:08.09, finished in seventh place. Nay’s father Robert, who died when she was four, was also an Olympian who competed at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games in the 200m Freestyle and 4 x 200m Freestyle.

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