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Kimberly Smith wins GOLD in 5000m at World University Games
Saturday, August 20th, 2005
Kimberley Smith has become just the second Kiwi to win a World University Games gold medal after winning the women’s 5000m in record breaking style early today.
Smith overpowered a quality field to win in 15:29.18 ahead of Tetyana Holovchenko (Ukraine) and Jolene Byrne (Ireland).
The United States-based Kiwi cut 0.68s off Gabriela Szabo’s Universiade
record, set by the Romanian legend in Fukuoka, Japan in 1995.
Smith joins swimmer Anthony Mosse as the only Kiwi gold medallists at a
World University Games after Mosse won the 200m butterfly in Zagreb in 1987.
Her medal capped a dream 23rd Summer Universiade for New Zealand who have
also won three silver medals in the pool and Mary Davies’ bronze in the
women’s 10,000m.
University Sport New Zealand executive director Jim Ellis is delighted with
the record Kiwi medal haul.
“Kim’s gold is the icing on our cake,” Ellis said.
“This is New Zealand’s best ever Games but to win a gold at the end of
competition really rounds it off. I think the team has fully justified the
investment made by the New Zealand Academy of Sport and the national
sporting organisations.
“The Games are now firmly established as a major target for New Zealand
sport and we look forward to even better results in Bangkok in 2007.”
New Zealand’s three sailors, just outside the medal placings, along with the
women’s soccer team - who meet the Czech Republic in the playoff for ninth -
complete the Kiwi action in Izmir overnight.
