Pictured: Kirsty Coventry with John Campton, from The Premier Group

A seven-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer visited workers at a Coventry factory during a visit to the city which shares her name.

Kirsty Coventry, from Zimbabwe, visited the Exhall headquarters of Olympic and Paralympic Torch manufacturers The Premier Group to meet staff before travelling to Coventry University to meet sport scholars.

The winner of two gold medals, four silvers and a bronze at the last two Olympic Games visited some of the region's main attractions and checked out the city's sporting facilities as she continued her preparations for London 2012.

During her visit, Kirsty trained in the city's 50m pool at Coventry Sports Centre and led a session with the clubs elite swimmers focusing on some of the drills she uses in her own training.

She also attended Coventry City's fixture against West Ham United to see the Ricoh Arena, which will host a total of 12 men's and women's matches during the Olympic Football Tournament in 2012, visited members of Coventry Swimming Club, attended a CPP Coventry Blaze ice hockey fixture and played a role in the city's Christmas lights switch on.

Kirsty said: "The city has been very welcoming and the people have been very warm.

"I have had some great experiences, particularly at the soccer and the ice hockey which are a bit different to the non-contact sport I compete in!

"It is great to see how many projects and programmes are going on in this region to reach out to the community and give them a feel of the Games.

"There have been a lot of Olympics in the past where not everyone has been able to feel the positives of hosting the Games - but Coventry has done very well promoting the Olympic movement and helping the community get involved."

Following the visit to the Alan Higgs, Kirsty hoped she had made an impact on the city's youngsters.

"I hope I have shared something which can inspire them," she said.

"Sport has played such a huge role in my life and I hope it can do the same for children growing up today.

"The people of Coventry have been wonderful and it would be great to have a bunch of people from Coventry cheering me on during London 2012!"

Kirsty Coventry, visited the Coventry Sports Foundation-managed Alan Higgs Centre on Allard Way to watch the latest instalment of the Coventry City Council 2012 Games Team's Festival of Sport - which aims to give schoolchildren across the region a taste of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

She was joined by Nuneaton swimmer and Lloyds TSB Local Hero James Burden at the event as she shared her experiences and advice with around 170 children from Foxford School, based in Longford.

Cllr John Mutton, leader of Coventry City Council, said: "It was fantastic for Kirsty to give up her time to speak to some of our aspiring athletes and youngsters as well as witness the fantastic ways in which our city is involved with London 2012.

"It is exciting to build a relationship with any world class athlete - but it is made all the more special when they shares their name with the city.

"We tried to give her a flavour of the many projects taking place across the region as part of London 2012 - but she would probably have been here until the start of the Games if we had tried to show her all the ways the city is embracing London 2012!"