Zimbabwe's Coventry sets world mark in 100 back (China Olympics Swimming)

Seattle Times ^ | Aug 10 2008

[Republican Party Reptile]

Zimbabwe's Coventry sets world mark in 100 back

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe has set a world record in the 100-meter backstroke semifinals at the Beijing Olympics. BEIJING — Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe has set a world record in the 100-meter backstroke semifinals at the Beijing Olympics. Coventry touched in 58.77 seconds Monday morning, breaking the mark of 58.97 set by American Natalie Coughlin at last month's U.S. trials. Coughlin won her semifinal heat in 59.42. Coventry is the leading qualifier and Coughlin second-fastest going into Tuesday morning's final. Coughlin won the gold medal four years ago in Athens and Coventry took the silver. It was the fourth world record set at the Water Cube during the games.

[Republican Party Reptile]

Hmm, there I was taking pot shots about Zimbabwe Olympics Team :), maybe I need to take back some snarky comments.

[Migraine]

She must be eating regular, then?

[kms61]

I’ll bet you a dollar she hasn’t set foot in her home country in years.

[Rembrandt]

Kirsty must be practicing every day on a plan to backstroke her way out of that hellhole of a country.

[hosepipe]

Any white person remaining in Zimbabwe should be PimP slapped and whipped..

[DemonDeac]

“She must be eating regular, then?”

I would bet a ton of money that she no longer lives there but races for them because she was born there. A lot of whites have been driven out and I highly doubt that she would have access to decent training facilities and quality coaching at home even if she wanted to stay. She must live and train somewhere else.

[kms61]

I have heard that Mugabe has a core of wealthy white supporters, who were part of the Rhodesian ruling class. Mugabe’s thugs guard their property while confiscating the farms of whites who aren’t politically connected.

[SAJ]

You win. She's been attending an American university (Auburn or Texas, iirc).

Wonderful swimmer, though!

[wastedyears]

Instead of them writing an article about an Olympian from Zimbabwe setting a new record, they could write an article about Michael Phelps on the road to become the most winning Olympian in history.

[Lutheran Loft II]

A big War Eagle to Kirsty! Auburn is proud of her!

[Republican Party Reptile]

Well. I guess I had to look her up.

According to her Auburn Bio, she completed high school in Zimbabwe (Harare Convent) before attending Auburn University. She now lives in Austin, Texas, (I'd guess she is training at UT's Texas Swim Center, a olympic class facility).

Seems her family still all live in Zimbabwe.

According to Wiki ---

Kirsty Leigh Coventry (born in Harare, Zimbabwe September 16, 1983) is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece, Coventry won three Olympic medals: a gold, a silver, and a bronze. She was subsequently described by Paul Chingoka, head of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, as "our national treasure".[5] Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe called her "a golden girl".[6]

In 2000, while still in high school, Coventry became the first Zimbabwean swimmer to reach the semifinals at the Olympics and was named Zimbabwe's Sports Woman of the Year. ...

From other news source ...

John Niyo / The Detroit News At FINA's world short course championships in April, Zimbabwe finished a surprising fourth in the gold-medal count. The reason? Kirsty Coventry, who won five medals -- four gold -- and set three world records in the women's backstroke and individual medley events in Manchester, England.

And as far as good news is concerned, that's about all her native land has enjoyed this year. Political unrest, as well as a dire economy and food crisis, have crippled a country that the 24-year-old Coventry, who now lives in Austin, Texas, still considers home. Coventry, a former NCAA champion at Auburn, gained international fame when she won three medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. They're the only individual Olympic medals her country has won since gaining independence in 1980.

And in a nation of 13 million where the government's policies fuel a bitter racial divide, Coventry's celebrity status -- President Robert Mugabe called her "a golden girl" after Athens -- is all the more noteworthy.

"I take any opportunity I can to raise our country's flag really high and get some shining positive light on things over there," Coventry told Reuters this spring in Manchester. "My family, friends and parents are still there. I know how much it does for people back home."

And this bit from USA Today when she won three medals at the Athens Olympics in 2004

Zimbabwe puts aside racial tensions to give hero's welcome to triple medal winner

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe put aside an official hate campaign against the nation's tiny white community Wednesday and hailed its triple-medal-winning Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry as "a national treasure."

Swimmer Kirsty Coventry, who earned all three of Zimbabwe's Olympic medals, received a heroine's welcome when she arrived back home.

Coventry, who is white and trains at Auburn University in Alabama, won gold, silver and bronze medals in swimming events at the Athens Games.

Tribal dancers, beating drums and gyrating in mesh skirts and animal skins, greeted the swimmer at the main Harare Airport, along with hundreds of chanting fans waving banners describing her as "Our Golden Girl, Our Heroine."

"We never expected this," Coventry's coach, Peter Dalzell. "The welcome has been somewhat overwhelming."

Paul Chingoka, head of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, spoke of "tears of joy" when the Zimbabwe anthem was played and the national flag was raised three times.

"Never before has Zimbabwe been in such a situation," he said. "Kirsty is our national treasure. I don't have enough words to say about her. We just went berserk — we went ballistic."

Coventry, 20, who has been studying in the United States for three years, spoke in a distinctive American accent.

"I am so full of pride and feel honored so many people have come out to see me," she said. "I am very excited to be given a chance to come home and share it with everyone here."

[Lutheran Loft II]

A reliable source writes that if Auburn University were a country they would be tied for sixth in the medal count! Pretty cool whether an Auburn fan or not if you ask me.

[Republican Party Reptile]

well, I don't see why they can't write about both. But since you asked, here is the Seattle Times' story on Phelps :)

Jason Lezak keeps Michael Phelps' hopes alive The Associated Press

By a fingertip, Michael Phelps is still on course for eight gold medals. He can thank Jason Lezak for getting him No. 2.

The oldest man on the U.S. swimming team pulled off one of the great comebacks in Olympic history Monday morning, lunging to the wall just ahead of France's Alain Bernard in a race so fast it actually erased two world records.

Wow!

Few sporting events live up the hype -- this one exceeded it. The 32-year-old Lezak was nearly a body length behind the massive Bernard as they made the final turn, but the American hugged the lane rope, drafting off the Frenchman and stunningly overtaking him on the very last stroke.

Watching on deck, Phelps let out a resounding "Yeaaaaaah!" and thrust both arms toward the roof of the Water Cube. His quest to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals had survived what will likely be its toughest test.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html

[Navy Patriot]

Here's the golden girl.

[Navy Patriot]

I have heard that Mugabe has a core of wealthy white supporters

I think we call them "Democrats".

[SAJ]

A bit overstated, sir. At this moment, the Olympics have awarded 133 medals (one for a tie for bronze). I hardly think Auburn students/graduates, estimable institution though it may be, have captured 44 medals to date in the competition.

I've no quarrel at all with Auburn, or indeed any 'university' bar my own -- which I have disowned completely -- but the notion of univesities as sports factories, esp. those on the taxpayer's dollar, i.e. 'state' schools as opposed to private institutions, is offensive in the extreme.

Taking nothing away from Miss Coventry, do please explain in detail why any 10 cents of my and others' tax dollars should be forcibly extracted in order to train athletes, whether for professional sport or for the Olympics.

TIA.

[Tailback]

I have heard that Mugabe has a core of wealthy white supporters, who were part of the Rhodesian ruling class. Mugabe’s thugs guard their property while confiscating the farms of whites who aren’t politically connected.

The spirit of Quisling lives on.

[MinorityRepublican]

Ha, good one. Similiar to white liberals living in Washington D.C. back in the early ‘90s when it was called “Murder Capital”.

[SAJ]

My apologies. Misread your post. Miss Coventry has earned 1 medal so far, and certainly will earn others. I presume the US team has an Auburn-related graduate here and there -- but have they earned, among them, 3 more medals in the Games to date? Which events (I'd like to know, please)?

If so, congratulations to your school. If not, then -- as noted -- your claim is a bit overstated.

[SAJ]

My apologies. Misread your post.

Miss Coventry has earned 1 medal so far, and certainly will earn others.

I presume the US team has an Auburn-related graduate here and there -- but have they earned, among them, 3 more medals in the Games to date? Which events (I'd like to know, please)?

If so, congratulations to your school. If not, then -- as noted -- your claim is a bit overstated.