Kirsty Coventry
Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
SWIMMER Kirsty Coventry completed a hattrick of gold medals when she won the 200m backstroke final at the African Games in Brazzaville, Congo, yesterday. The swimming sensation has now claimed all the three gold medals for Zimbabwe at the Games. “I did it-Triple Threepeat! 3x African Champion x3 events: 100m Backstroke, 200m Individual Medley & now 200m Backstroke. #Gold#History,” she tweeted after the race.
She had scooped her second gold medal on Thursday night. Coventry claimed gold in the 200m individual medley in a time of 2:16.05, adding to Tuesday’s gold medal in the 100m backstroke. The 32-year-old, who qualified to represent the country in the 100m backstroke in next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has proved that age is nothing but just a number with her outstanding performance at the prestigious continental Games.
Coventry’s win on Thursday saw her claiming the 200m individual medley for the third consecutive time in the African Games having won it in 2007 and 2011 just like what she did in the 100m backstroke in which she made it three consecutive wins on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe also got another medal in swimming when the 4x100m medley mixed relay team claimed bronze after finishing third on Thursday in 4:00.78 behind winners Egypt and South Africa. Egypt’s team swam their way to gold when they came first in 3:56.04 and South Africa came second in 3:56.27.
Coventry, who is Team Zimbabwe’s captain, is leading by example and her victories are an inspiration to the team that has struggled in some of the sporting disciplines Zimbabwe is competing in. Of 22 sporting disciplines at the Games, Zimbabwe is fielding athletes in athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, football, gymnastics, judo, karate, taekwondo, tennis, swimming and sport for people living with disabilities.
However, it is Coventry, who has so far excelled in Brazzaville, claiming three gold medals. Fitness trainer Gerald Maguranyanga was among the first people to congratulate Coventry. “Well done Miss Kirsty! As usual, I am one of millions, zillions of loving, happy Zimbabweans, spread worldwide, that proudly rally behind you, Africa’s foremost swimming icon — ever,” Maguranyanga wrote on her Facebook page.
“I am privileged to know and understand the countless, lonely, painful sometimes, hours that you devote to purify your body with fire – turning it into a hot, unbeatable water torpedo. ”You are a bonafide Golden Girl! See you at Rio 2016! Love and Respect.” Motor racing ace Axcil Jefferies added: “Congratulations Golden Girl. Keep breaking records. A true inspiration.”
