Beijing: Zimbabwe's defending champion Kirsty Coventry broke her run of runner-up finishes to grab her first Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Games with a world record swim in the women's 200 metres backstroke final on Saturday.
Coventry, 24, made no mistake this time surging out to a big lead and claiming a new world record of two minutes 05.24 seconds.
It shaved 0.85sec off the previous record of 2:06.09 held by American Margaret Hoelzer.
"I'm so thrilled. The plan was to go in and put everything on the line and see what I have to go home with," Coventry said.
"I'm excited to hear the national anthem play and for everyone back home to hear it."
Coventry said it was painful race for her but it was her last race in the Beijing campaign.
"It's awesome. It was painful and my legs hurt a bit. It was my last race here and I wanted to give it everything. Getting the gold medal is the cherry on the top and it's such a relief."
Hoelzer finished with the silver medal in 2:06.23, almost a second behind Coventry at the wall. Japan's Reiko Nakamura took the bronze in an Asian record of 2:07.13.
Coventry won the 200m backstroke crown in Athens, but had run up three silver medal finishes in Beijing in the 100m backstroke and the 200 and 400m medleys.
"I'm very happy to improve from bronze to silver from the 100, but Kirsty had an amazing race," Hoelzer said.
"It was a big response from Kirsty and I'd like to think we bring out the best in each other."
Nakamura said she had conserved her energy to make a big final effort in the last 50m.
"I think the crucial point was that I saved energy within the first 150m and gave it my all in the last 50m," she said.
"In the last part of the race my legs were nearly dying, but I kept putting the effort in and I was able to swim all the way."
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