Young Zim swimmer, Donata breaks Kirsty Coventry record – report

She wasn’t even born then but Donata Katai has beaten a 1998 backstroke record set by Olympic legend Kirsty Coventry.

The 14 year-old did it at the ongoing South Africa National Junior Championships at Kings Park Pool in Durban according to Kyros Sports

Donata Katai!!! Remember the name!!! Donata beat the legendary @KirstyCoventry’s long standing 1998 100m backstroke record yesterday in South Africa, winning the gold in the process. Welldone Donata!

Coventry, now the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation congratulated her:

We did try to have a look what she set but the Internet is a strange and hard place to find things sometimes.

UDPDATE: Here is the record set by Donata according to Star FM sports presenter Yvonne Mangunda:

Donata Katai has broken @KirstyCoventry ‘s 100m backstroke African junior record in Durban at junior national swimming championships. Katai, a form 3 student at Gateway High in Harare swam 1 minute 5.6 seconds,taking more than one & a half seconds off Kirsty’s record set in 1998

But well done Donata. And keep winning.

UPDATE: So we got an update from Swim Zim on the actual record:

Not entirely accurate. Kirsty’s record was 1.05.94. Donata swam 1.05.60 so just 0.34 of a second faster

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