Coventry takes backstroke gold

BEIJING (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry won the women's 200 meters backstroke on Saturday with a new world record time of 2:05.24 to defend her Olympic title.

Coventry, who had won three silvers already in Beijing, led throughout and was nearly a full second ahead of Margaret Hoelzer of the United States who took silver.

Japan's Reiko Nakamura took the bronze medal.

Coventry's time was 0.85 faster than the previous world record time set by Hoelzer at the U.S trials in Omaha in July.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)