Coventry of Zimbabwe wins women's 200 backstroke
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-21 14:01

Zimbabwe's sensation Kirsty Coventry clinched the first Olympic swimming gold for her country when she won the 200m backstroke title at the Olympic Games in Athens Friday.

Gold medallist Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe blows a kiss from the podium after she won the 200 metres backstroke during the medal ceremony during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games swimming competition, August 20, 2004. [Reuters]

The 21-year-old raced to the victory in an African record of two minutes 09.19 seconds, adding a gold to her medal collection of a silver and a bronze in the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley respectively.

"I am so excited. It has been a great week for me. I can't believe it yet," said Coventry, a student at Auburn University in the United States.

"I am so proud of the way I am representing my country here and that they have given me the opportunity," she said.

Russian teenager Stanislava Komarova took silver as the 18-year- old European champion touched 0.53 second off the pace.

Japanese Reiko Nakamura and Antje Buschschulte of Germany tied for the third place in 2:09.88.