With her wedding coming up in just over a week, on August 10th, Zimbabwean sporting hero Kirsty Coventry announced today on her official Facebook page that she will continue training for the 2016 Olympics.
What’s more, she will be training with David Marsh and Kim Brackin, based out of the SwimMAC team elite program in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States.
Brackin has been Coventry’s coach directly off-and-on (mostly on) since their time together at Auburn, and they will be joining forces with David Marsh, who put 5 swimmers on the 2012 Olympic Team, in the unique professional environment of SwimMAC.
If successful, this would be Coventry’s 5th Olympic games. That would tie her for the 3rd-most all-time (behind only Turkey’s Derya Büyükuncu and Sweden’s Lars Frolander, who have each been to 6).
Coventry has a total of 7 Olympic medals, including back-to-back golds in the 200 back in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. She failed to medal in 2012 after dislocating her kneecap shortly before the meet started.
From her Facebook page:
I will be competing at Rio2016 Olympics.
This Olympics will be about how far I can push myself – it will be about finding the next level. To do this, I need to be confident. I am confident.
We have already started building the ultimate team to assist me in getting to that next level. Econet Wireless and Arena International have given me their support and will help ensure I can focus on my goals. My coaches are David Marsh (Head Coach at SwimMac Team Elite) and Kim Brackin (Personal Coach: 2004, 2008, 2012 Olympics). I will be based in Charlotte, North Carolina and training with the swimmers at SwimMac Team Elite. I have purposefully surrounded myself by this team because they believe in me and together we will get there.
To my family, friends and fans, you have supported me for my last 4 Olympics and I have won 7 Olympic medals. Support me in my 5th Olympics and lets see what happens.
Good luck!
lars frolander also went to 6 olympics (’92-’12)
There are benefits of being a Zimbabwean . One just announces one is on the Rio team & presto – one is.
Best of luck, Kirsty! Our sport is always a better sport when you are involved! What a quality human being!
Wow it seems that lots of swimmers are going to Swimmac; Coventry, Lochte. Coach Marsh must be pleased. Maybe this will inspire Cullen Jones to adjust his schedule and train at Swimmac more often
Lochte is going to Swimmac? I must have missed that. So it looks like NBAC and Swimmac will be the two postgrad hot spots on the east coast and UNC out west.