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Melissa Corfe

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Melissa Corfe
Personal information
Full nameMelissa Jane Corfe
National team South Africa
Born (1986-01-20) 20 January 1986 (age 38)
Durban, South Africa
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight61 kg (134 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, backstroke
ClubMr. Price Seagulls S.C.
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing South Africa
All-Africa Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers 400 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2007 Algiers 100 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2007 Algiers 200 m backstroke

Melissa Jane Corfe (born 20 January 1986) is a South African swimmer, who specialised in freestyle and backstroke events.[1] She is a multiple-time South African champion and record holder for her respective events.[2] Corfe represented her nation South Africa at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and has won a total of five medals, including three golds in the women's freestyle (100, 200, and 400 m), at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.[3][4] She also set two national records (both long and short course), as a member of the South African swimming team, in the freestyle and medley relays, at the 2008 FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester, England.[5]

2008 Summer Olympics

Corfe competed for South Africa in five swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She crushed three national records and cleared FINA A-standards each in the 200 m freestyle (1:59.76), 400 m freestyle (4:08.70), and 200 m backstroke (2:10.03) at the South African Championships four months earlier in Johannesburg to assure her selection to the nation's Olympic swimming team.[6][7]

On the first night of the Games, Corfe teamed up with Wendy Trott, Mandy Loots, and Kathryn Meaklim in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Swimming the lead-off leg in heat two, Corfe recorded a fastest split of 55.93 seconds, but the South African foursome had to settle for last place out of fifteen registered nations with a total time of 3:51.14.[8] The following night, in the 400 m freestyle, Corfe headed into the 750-metre turn with a marvelous fourth-place swim in the last of six heats, but faded down the stretch on a sprint challenge to pick up the sixth spot and seventeenth overall in 4:10.54.[9]

On the third night of the prelims, Corfe failed to break a two-minute barrier in the 200 m freestyle. She lost in a close race against fourth-place finalist Paulina Barzycka of Poland by three hundredths of a second (0.03), dropping to sixth place and thirty-third overall in 2:00.95.[10] In her third and final individual event, 200 m backstroke, Corfe cruised to seventh place in heat four with a 2:12.64, just six seconds behind the defending Olympic champion Kirsty Coventry of the neighbouring Zimbabwe, sharing a twenty-second place tie with Ukraine's Kateryna Zubkova in the prelims.[11]

On the last day of the preliminaries, Corfe reunited her South African teammates Loots, Suzaan van Biljon, and Lize-Mari Retief in the 4 × 100 m medley relay. Swimming the backstroke leg, Corfe posted a split of 1:02.62 to give the South African foursome a twelfth-place overall finish in the prelims with a total time of 4:04.20.[12]

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Melissa Corfe". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  2. ^ "South African National Championships: Jean Basson, Cameron van der Burgh, Melissa Corfe, Wendy Trott Shine During First Day". Swimming World. 1 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  3. ^ "Melissa Corfe Prevails in 200 Free at All Africa Games". Swimming World. 13 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  4. ^ Staff (14 July 2007). "SA swimmers dominate in Algeria". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  5. ^ Staff (9 April 2008). "SA swimmers shine in Manchester". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  6. ^ "South African Championships: Women Down Two African Records". Swimming World. 4 April 2008. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  7. ^ "South African National Championships: Jean Basson, Cameron van der Burgh, Melissa Corfe, Wendy Trott Shine During First Day". Swimming World. 1 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Women's 4×100m Freestyle Relay Heat 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Women's 400m Freestyle Heat 6". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Women's 200m Freestyle Heat 3". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  11. ^ "Women's 200m Backstroke Heat 4". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Women's 4×100m Medley Relay Heat 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
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