Zimbabwe at the 2008 Summer Olympics

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Zimbabwe at the
2008 Summer Olympics
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg
IOC code ZIM
NOC Zimbabwe Olympic Committee
Website www.zoc.co.zw
in Beijing
Competitors13 in 6 sports
Flag bearers Brian Dzingai (opening)
Kirsty Coventry (closing)
Medals
Ranked 38th
Gold
1
Silver
3
Bronze
0
Total
4
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Zimbabwe sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Contents

Zimbabwe sent thirteen athletes to Beijing, competing in swimming, athletics, tennis, cycling, triathlon, and rowing. [1] Kirsty Coventry, who won gold in swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, was the lone member of the delegation to medal.

Medalists

MedalNameSportEventDate
Gold medal icon.svg Gold Kirsty Coventry Swimming Women's 200 m backstroke 16 August
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kirsty Coventry Swimming Women's 400 m individual medley 10 August
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kirsty Coventry Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke 12 August
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kirsty Coventry Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley 13 August

Athletics

Seven Zimbabweans competed in athletics, with the best finishes being a pair of fourth-places. One came from Brian Dzingai, in the men's 200 metres. Dzingai was the top qualifier in the heats and semifinals, but in the final, he originally placed 6th, before two disqualifications moved him up to 4th. The other came from Ngonidzashe Makusha in the men's long jump. Makusha qualified in 5th, and sat in 2nd place after the first three jumps. He was passed by one opponent on the fourth attempt, and then lost a medal by a single centimetre on the last round of jumps.

Men
Track & road events
AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal
ResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank
Lewis Banda 400 m 46.766Did not advance
Brian Dzingai 200 m 20.251 Q20.231 Q20.172 Q20.224
Mike Fokoroni Marathon 2:13:1711
Cuthbert Nyasango 10000 m DNF
Young Talkmore Nyongani 400 m 45.896Did not advance
Field events
AthleteEventQualificationFinal
DistancePositionDistancePosition
Ngonidzashe Makusha Long jump 8.145 Q8.194
Women
Track & road events
AthleteEventFinal
ResultRank
Tabitha Tsatsa Marathon 2:37:1049
Key

Cycling

Mountain biking

Antipas Kwari represented Zimbabwe in cycling, and was the last finisher in the men's mountain bike race, a full lap behind the next-to-last finisher.

AthleteEventTimeRank
Antipas Kwari Men's cross-country LAP (6 laps)48

Rowing

Elana Hill managed to qualify from her opening heat, but finished last in her quarterfinal and her semifinal, ending up in 25th.

Women
AthleteEventHeatsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
TimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRank
Elana Hill Single sculls 8:35:533 QF8:20:846 SC/D8:34:276 FE8:09:9425

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage

Swimming

Kirsty Coventry managed to improve on her three-medal performance from Athens, repeating her gold medal in the 200-metre backstroke and her silver in the 100-metre backstroke, and adding silver medals in the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medleys. She also set a world record in her 100 backstroke semifinal, which was not broken in the final, and won the 200 backstroke with another world record. Her team-mate Heather Brand did not advance from the heats.

Women
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinal
TimeRankTimeRankTimeRank
Heather Brand 100 m butterfly 1:01.3942Did not advance
Kirsty Coventry 100 m backstroke 59.00 OR 1 Q58.77 WR 1 Q59.19Silver medal icon.svg
200 m backstroke 2:06.76 OR 1 Q2:07.761 Q2:05.24 WR Gold medal icon.svg
200 m individual medley 2:12.183 Q2:09.53 OR 1 Q2:08.59 AF Silver medal icon.svg
400 m individual medley 4:36:437 Q4:29.89 AF Silver medal icon.svg

Tennis

Cara Black, representing Zimbabwe for the third time in Olympic tennis, lost her only match in straight sets.

AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / BM
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Rank
Cara Black Women's singles Flag of Serbia (2004-2010).svg  Janković  (SRB)
L 3–6, 3–6
Did not advance

Triathlon

Chris Felgate ran the triathlon for Zimbabwe. He finished the swim with the main pack, but fell behind in the cycling and running portions.

AthleteEventSwim (1.5 km)Trans 1Bike (40 km)Trans 2Run (10 km)Total TimeRank
Chris Felgate Men's 18:210:2859:000:3336:091:54:31.6142

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