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Coventry And Dunford Upset South African Party

Jul 13, 2007  - Craig Lord

South Africa may be leading the medals table at the All-Africa Games but the spotlight was on two US-based talents, Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry and Kenya's Jason Dunford.

Coventry, based in the US, raced to a 4:39.91 400m medley victory, ahead of South Africa's Jessica Pengelly, a 15-year-old making strong progress, her silver medal-winning 4:43.97 topping a 2006 best of 4:47.70 but a fraction down on the national record of 4:43.76 she set earlier this year. Bronze went to her teammate Kagthryn Meaklim, in 4:48.06.

Dunford, the first Kenyan man ever to make a world championship final at Melbourne 2007, clocked a solid 53.40 to win the 100m butterfly. George Du Rand took silver for South Africa in 54.97, with Ahmed Nada third for Egypt in 55.85.

Troyden Prinsloo set the tone for South Africa's early rise to the top of the medals table, with a 3:55.29 win over 400m freestyle, just 0.46sec ahead of Tunisia's Ahmed Mathlouthi, with South African Jean Basson third on 3:57.97.

Cameron van der Burgh took the 100m breaststroke in 1:02.05. Silver went to massive-improver Sofiane Daid, of Algeria, in 1:02.11, with bronze going to South African Thabang Moeketsane, in 1:02.54.

Melissa Corfe took the 100m freestyle in 57.44 ahead of teammate Liezi Mari Burger, on 58.03, with Zimbabwe's Heather Brand third on 58.08. South Africa's fourth gold went to the women's 4x200m freestyle quartet, in 8:28.46.