World Short Course Championships: Flash! Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry Crushes World Record to Win Women’s 400 IM

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MANCHESTER, England, April 9. KIRSTY Coventry made it a day as she crushed the world record in the women's 400 IM while representing Zimbabwe at the FINA World Short Course Championships.

Coventry completed the longer distance medley in a time of 4:26.52 to demolish the 4:27.83 set by Yana Klochkova back in 2002.

Here are the 100-meter splits in comparison:
Coventry: 1:02.38, 2:07.81, 3:24.58, 4:26.52
Klochkova: 1:01.71, 2:09.20, 3:26.87, 4:27.83

As can be seen, Coventry's backstroke leg put her far ahead and she never looked back en route to blasting the global standard.

"I was so excited," Coventry told meet organizers. "I thought that Hannah was amazing and is definitely one to watch out for in the future."

Klochkova's record never had a chance as each of the medal winners cleared the former record. Great Britain's Hannah Miley clocked a 4:27.27 for second to destroy her national record of 4:29.83 from prelims, while Spain's Mireia Belmonte touched in 4:27.55 for third to smash her national record of 4:31.06. Miley's effort also stands as a European standard.

"I can't wipe the smile off my face," Miley told meet organizers. "I'm on cloud nine."

The win for Coventry is the first world short course title of her career, which she adds to her pair of long course golds in the 100 and 200 back in 2005.

Event Results

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