Ben Proud

Benjamin Proud
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Proud
Nickname(s) "Ben"
National team  Great Britain
Born (1994-09-21) 21 September 1994
London, England
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Weight 92 kg (203 lb)[1]
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle, butterfly
Club Plymouth Leander Swimming
Coach Jon Rudd

Benjamin Proud (born 21 September 1994) is an English competitive swimmer, representing Great Britain at the FINA World Aquatics Championships and LEN European Aquatics Championships, and England at the Commonwealth Games.[2] Proud holds two British national records, as well as being the Commonwealth champion in the 50 m butterfly and 50 m freestyle events. He was the fastest 18-year-old in the world who competes in the 50 m butterfly and will represent Great Britain in the 50 metres freestyle at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.[3] Proud is coached by Jon Rudd at the Plymouth Leander Swimming Programme in England.

Early life

Proud grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and attended the Alice Smith School from kindergarten until year 11, when he left to pursue his swimming career further at Plymouth College. He competed for the school and was privately trained by Mr. Kiu, a professional Malaysian swimmer, as well as at school. He swam for the school swimming team, KLASS Torpedoes, representing them at many international swim meets. He swam at the Malaysian Open, winning the 50 m butterfly and placing second in the 50 m freestyle. His many swim meets across Southeast Asia included the Flying Fish meet in Phuket, Thailand. At 16, Proud left Alice Smith and decided to pursue his passion of swimming in England. Although he now lives in Plymouth where he attends university, he often visits his friends and family in Malaysia.

Education

Proud attended the Alice Smith International School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia prior to moving to the UK. Here he studied for two years as a swimming scholar at Plymouth College.

Beginning two years ago, Proud became a student at the University St. Mark & St. John, Plymouth where he is currently studying for a Sports Development & Coaching degree.[4]

Swimming career

Last season, Proud won a silver medal in the 50 m butterfly -his strongest event- in the European Junior Championships, which put him on the map as the fastest British sprinter at the British Gas International Meet in 2013, winning a gold in the butterfly, and going on later to win a silver in the 50 m freestyle in Leeds. After his initial victories, he rose through the ranks and broke the decade-long 50 m butterfly standing record twice, in the semis and final, giving him his first British Gas Swimming Championship title at the age of 19.

He went on the break his personal best times for the 50 m and 100 m freestyle events, earning himself a silver and bronze, as well as a spot on the British team for the 2013 World Championships being held in Barcelona. Unsurprisingly, Proud did incredibly, finishing 18th in the 50 m freestyle, and 11th in the 50 m butterfly.[5] In 2014, still only 19 years old, Proud won his first senior international medals on his Commonwealth debut for England at Glasgow. The following month, Proud won a gold and a bronze in the 4 × 100 m medley relay and the 50 m butterfly for Team GB at his first European Championships.[6]

Proud represents Great Britain in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle events at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Best Times

Event Time (LCM) Time (SCM)
50 Freestyle 21.54* 20.74*
100 Freestyle 48.52 45.97*
50 Butterfly 22.93* 22.39*
100 Butterfly 54.88 54.11

[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ben Proud". Rio 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  2. ↑ http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/swimming/mens-profiles/ben-proud/18614/
  3. ↑ http://www.alice-smith.edu.my/580/wider-learning/sport/swimming
  4. ↑ http://www.marjon.ac.uk/marjon-sport/sports-federation/talented-athlete-programme-academy-%28tapa%29/ben-proud/
  5. ↑ http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/swimming/mens-profiles/ben-proud/18614
  6. ↑ http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/proud-gives-england-first-swim-gold-20140726-3cllv.html
  7. ↑ "Ben Proud- British Swimming". Skylab. British Swimming & The ASA. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
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