DEJECTION and disillusionment could be mere words safely tucked in the dictionary, but they suitably sum up Olympics swimming medalist Kirsty Coventry’s feelings at the direction local sport has taken.
MICHAEL MADYIRA
Now a decade after she became a global swimming sound track at the Athens Olympics, no better words can define the way her feelings have drastically changed.
“We don’t do enough locally to help our sports move forward,” said Coventry.
“I won Gold in 2004, what changed? I won Gold in 2008, what changed? I never won anything in 2012, what changed? Our Olympics team is getting smaller and our athletes are choosing to compete for other countries. When I gave the country an opportunity to move with the momentum I created when I won Gold, the country did nothing to capitalise on that.”
True to her sentiments, in 2012, Zimbabwe sent to London a record lowest number of athletes (seven) in their Olympics history.
For the first time ever, the country was unable to compete in track and field events at the Games where no athlete returned home with a medal.
Coventry said her heart bleeds especially for swimming where she feels there are swimmers who could scale the heights she reached.
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