World Short Course Championships: Flash! Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry Destroys 200 Back World Record

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MANCHESTER, England, April 11. ZIMBABWE's Kirsty Coventry continued her remarkable meet as she demolished the world record in the women's 200 back at the FINA World Short Course Championships.

Coventry completely owned the race as she clocked a time of 2:00.91 to lead a pair of swimmers under the global record. Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds joined her with a national record of 2:02.60, also under the world record set by Japan's Reiko Nakamura with a 2:03.24 in February.

Coventry's previous standard had been a 2:03.69, which also stood as the meet record heading into finals. Simmonds also owned the Great Britain record with a 2:04.21 from this morning.

"I was talking to my coach before whether we should even think of a 59 (second race)," Coventry told meet organizers. "I'm usually quite level on 100m and I'd have to take it out a bit quicker. My legs are feeling it a bit."

Two-time defending champ Margaret Hoelzer just missed the American record with a third-place 2:03.85.

Here are the comparative splits between Nakamura, Coventry and Simmonds:

Coventry: 28.48, 58.69, 1:29.71, 2:00.91
Simmonds: 29.10, 1:00.38, 1:31.89, 2:02.60
Nakamura: 29.11, 1:00.25, 1:31.79, 2:03.24

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