Elizabeth Coster

{{Short description|New Zealand swimmer (born 1982)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Elizabeth Coster

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Elizabeth Mary Coster

| nicknames =

| national_team = {{NZL}}

| strokes = Backstroke, butterfly

| club = North Shore Swim Club

| coach = Thomas Ansorg

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|12|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|1.76|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|65|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

| show-medals = yes

| updated =

}}

Elizabeth Mary Coster (born 11 December 1982) is a New Zealand former swimmer, who specialises in backstroke and butterfly events.{{cite sports-reference|title = Elizabeth Coster|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/elizabeth-coster-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418101539/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/elizabeth-coster-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 29 November 2012}} She helped the New Zealand team to pull off a fourth-place effort and broke a New Zealand record of 4:06.30 in the medley relay at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.{{cite web|title=Women's 4×100m Medley Relay Final|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/results/4783264.stm|work=Melbourne 2006|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 March 2006|access-date=2 May 2013}}

Coster made her first New Zealand team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she competed in the 100 m butterfly. Swimming in heat two, she edged out Singapore's Joscelin Yeo to take a third spot by two-tenths of a second (0.20), but shared a twenty-third place tie with Sweden's Johanna Sjöberg in 1:00.61.{{cite web|title=Women's 100m Butterfly Heat 2|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/swimming/results/3535080.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 August 2004|access-date=31 January 2013}}{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=Stephen|title=Women's 100 Butterfly Prelims: Petria Thomas Fastest Through to Semis – One Full Second Ahead of Inky|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7784.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=14 August 2004|access-date=19 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228210209/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7784.asp|archive-date=28 December 2013}} Coster also teamed up with Hannah McLean, Alison Fitch, and Annabelle Carey in the 4 × 100 m medley relay. She swam a butterfly leg in heat one with a split of 1:00.38, but the New Zealand team settled for sixth place and thirteenth overall in a final time of 4:10.37.{{cite web|title=Women's 4×100m Medley Heat 1|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/swimming/results/3531372.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 August 2004|access-date=31 January 2013}}{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |title=Women's 400 Medley Relay, Prelims Day 7: Aussies Qualify Ahead of USA in Two-Way Battle for Gold |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7917.asp |publisher=Swimming World Magazine |date=20 August 2004 |access-date=26 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203054027/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7917.asp |archive-date=3 February 2014}}

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Coster shortened her program, swimming only in the 100 m backstroke. She cleared a FINA A-standard entry time of 1:00.93 from the Olympic trials in Auckland.{{cite news|title=Coster, Ingram and Herring star at Olympic Trials |url=http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4125 |publisher=Sportzhub |date=27 March 2008 |access-date=29 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929132154/http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4125 |archive-date=29 September 2011}}{{cite web|title=Olympic Cut Sheet – Women's 100m Backstroke|url=http://magazines.swimmingworld.com:9997/SPIPDF/080508olyscutsheet.pdf|page=62|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|access-date=10 April 2013}} She posted a time of 1:00.66 to take a fifteenth seed in the top 16 places from the evening's preliminary heats.{{cite web |title=Women's 100m Backstroke – Heat 7 |url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWW041900/index.html |publisher=NBC Olympics |access-date=29 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821032355/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DSWW041900/index.html |archive-date=21 August 2012}}{{cite news|last=Lohn|first=John|title=Olympics, Swimming: Olympic Record Times Three, Kirsty Coventry Leads Women's 100 Back Prelims|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18741.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=10 August 2008|access-date=4 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514114724/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18741.asp|archive-date=14 May 2013}} Followed by the next morning's session, Coster fell short in her bid for the final, as she finished her semifinal run with a slowest time of 1:01.45.{{cite web|title=Women's 100m Backstroke – Semifinal 2|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWW041200/index.html|publisher=NBC Olympics|access-date=29 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821002249/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DSWW041200/index.html|archive-date=21 August 2012}}{{cite news|last=Gilhooly|first=Daniel|title=Swimming: Coster misses out on backstroke final|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10526439|work=New Zealand Herald|date=11 August 2008|access-date=29 November 2012}}