Benjamin 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
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, butterfly
Club	Plymouth Leander Swimming
Coach	Jon Rudd
Medal record Men's swimming Representing Great Britain European Championships (LC) 2014 Berlin 4x100 m medley 2014 Berlin 50 m butterfly 2016 London 50 m freestyle 2016 London 50 m butterfly Representing England Commonwealth Games 2014 Glasgow 50 m butterfly 2014 Glasgow 50 m freestyle 2014 Glasgow 4×100 m freestyle

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. Proud holds two British national records, as well as being the Commonwealth champion in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle events. He was the fastest 18-year-old in the world who competes in the 50m butterfly and will represent Great Britain in the 50 metres freestyle at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Proud is coached by Jon Rudd at the highly renowned 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 12, when he left to pursue his swimming career further. He competed for the school and was privately trained by Mr. Kiu, a professional Malaysian swimmer, as well as at school. He attended many swim meets across Southeast Asia, including the Flying Fish meet in Phuket, Thailand. Although he lives in Plymouth where he attends university, his life is still very much based in Malaysia and he often visits his friends and family there.

Education

Benjamin 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, Benjamin Proud became a student at the University St. Mark & St. John, Plymouth where he is currently studying for a Sports Development & Coaching degree.

Swimming performances and accomplishments

Last season, Benjamin Proud won a silver medal in the 50m 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 Fly, and going on later to win a silver in the 50m Free in Leeds. After his initial victories, he rose through the ranks and broke the decade-long 50m 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 50m and 100m Freestyles, 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 50m Free, and 11th in the 50m Fly. 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 4x100m Medley Relay and the 50m Fly for Team GB at his first European Championships.

Best Times

Event	Time (LCM)	Time (SCM)
50 Freestyle	21.65*	20.74*
100 Freestyle	48.70	45.97*
50 Butterfly	22.93*	22.39*
100 Butterfly	54.88	54.11

• British Record*

See also

• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)