adminsupposed to take part in four events at the London Games — 100 and 200m backstroke and the 200 and 400m individual medley.
But Coventry’s manager Tyrone Seward yesterday revealed through the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee that the talented swimmer has dropped one event — the 400m IM — from her schedule of events at this year’s London Olympic Games which are scheduled to run from July 27 to August 12.
This came after the 28-year-old swimmer suffered a mild bout of pneumonia during training at her base at in Texas, United States.
Seward said in a statement released by ZOC chief executive Anna Mguni yesterday: “Kirsty will be competing in the 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley at the Olympics.
“Coventry will be dropping the 400m individual medley, an event she had loved to compete in but because of her recent injury and current pneumonia, needs to adjust her plans to ensure she gets enough training for these other events.”
ZOC chief executive Mguni added yesterday: “Kirsty suffered a minor setback last week when she had to be treated for a mild bout of pneumonia; she has responded positively to treatment and is set to resume training within the week.”
Coventry also assured her followers at home and abroad that she would be fully fit in time to compete at the London Olympic Games when the event starts on July 27.
She said: “Since my break from the water in 2010, I was slightly concerned about swimming the 400m IM, I know I would do well in this event but it is a long race and takes an enormous amount of training.
“The most obvious thing for me to do now to ensure I do well at the Olympics is to drop this event and focus all my attention on the 100m back, 200m back and 200m IM.
“I have always been a positive person and I hope I can influence others into remaining positive in hard times. It’s not just about remaining positive though, you need to put plans in place to overcome challenges and work hard with what you have.”
In London, Coventry will be competing at the Olympic Games for the fourth consecutive time after having made her debut appearance at the world’s biggest showcase at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, at the young age of 16.
But four years later Coventry captured the imagination of the whole world when she won a full set of medals — one gold, one silver and one bronze — at the Athens Olympic Games in Greece.
Her gold medal in the women’s 200m backstroke was Zimbabwe’s second at the Olympics following the historic achievement of the women’s hockey team — the Golden Girls — at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia.
But the best was yet to come from Coventry after she became an Olympic champion for the first time at the Athens Games, as she went on to successfully defend her women’s 200m backstroke title at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in China.
She also fished out three silver medals at the same Games in Beijing after coming second in the 200 and 400m IM, and 100m backstroke.
And now Coventry is preparing for her fourth dance with the Olympic Games in London in July where she will be looking at adding more medals to her seven-medal haul from Athens and Beijing.
Swimming at this year’s Olympic Games will be held over eight days, starting from July 28 and finishing on the night of August 4 at the Olympic Park Aquatics Centre at Hyde Park in London.
Online Reporter