Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) became the biggest star of the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships, by taking her fourth gold medal and third World record. After her titles in the 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley (the latter two in a World record time), and taking bronze in the 100m Individual medley, the Zimbabwean champion triumphed in the 200m IM, in a new World record of 2:06.13.
Britain’s Hannah Miley and Elizabeth Simmonds also showed fantastic form. Although Miley suffered from a poor start (finding herself in 7th position after 50m), she held her own by showing her strength in the backstroke leg as she moved up to third place.
Miley kept up her pace and touched in a time of 2:08.79 to lower the British record she had set in this morning’s heats by another second. She claimed the bronze medal, which is her second medal of the competition. Simmonds, who was swimming in her second race of the evening, swam well to take almost five seconds off her personal best time and finished in fifth place in a time of 2:09.24
The final of the women’s 4x100m Freestyle saw the swimmers claim Britain’s third medal of the day as they claimed bronze in another world record breaking final.
Fran Halsall celebrated her 18th birthday by giving the team the perfect start. As Caitlin McClatchey took over the girls looked in a good medal position but as Julia Beckett took over the power of the Netherland’s Olympic medallist Inge Dekker was too much and the British team fell to second place. Mel Marshall took the last leg against strong competition but held on well to touch in a new British record of 3.32.88.
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
