Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

sent a team to compete at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

in Beijing, China. Zimbabwe sent thirteen athletes to Beijing, competing in swimming, athletics, tennis, cycling, triathlon, and rowing."Coventry leads Zimbabwe medal drive towards Beijing Olympic Games"
Xinhua, 19 July 2008

Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (born 16 September 1983) is a Zimbabwean swimmer and politician currently serving as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe since September 2018. A former Olympic swimmer and wo ...

, who won gold in swimming at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

in Athens, was the lone member of the delegation to medal.

Medalists

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 ;Field events ;Women ;Track & road events ;Key *Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only *Q = Qualified for the next round *q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser ''or'', in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target *NR = National record *N/A = Round not applicable for the event *Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Cycling

Mountain biking

Antipas Kwari Antipass Kwari (born 1975) is a Zimbabwean cyclist. He was the 2005 Zimbabwe mountainbike champion and represented his country at the 2007 African Mountainbike Championships which were held in Windhoek, Namibia where he placed 8th, in doing so ...

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.

Rowing

Elana Hill Elana Susan Hill (born 28 May 1988 in Harare, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean rower. She represented Zimbabwe at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She went to school at Bishopslea Preparatory School and Arundel School in Harare. She excelle ...

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

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 Heather Brand (born 17 November 1982) is a Zimbabwean swimmer, who specialised in freestyle and butterfly events. Brand had claimed a total of five medals (three silver and two bronze) at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, and event ...

did not advance from the heats. ;Women

Tennis

Cara Black Cara Cavell Black (born 17 February 1979) is a Zimbabwean former professional tennis player. Black was primarily a doubles specialist, winning 60 WTA Tour and 11 ITF doubles titles. A former doubles world No. 1, she won ten major titles. By ...

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

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.

References

Official 2008 Summer Olympics Results Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zimbabwe at the 2008 Summer Olympics Nations at the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...