The 2015 FINA World Championships are set to begin Sunday morning. An athlete from Bahrain will make history as the youngest swimmer to ever compete at a World Championships.
10-year-old Alzain Tareq will swim in the biggest meet of 2015 with the best competition in the world. She’s prepared to swim the 50 meter fly and 50 meter freestyle in Kazan.
Alzain has been swimming since she was 4 years old with the support of her father, Tareq Juma Salem. She trains twice a day and has been traveling to meets since she was 5 or 6. Salem isn’t worried about Alzain feeling overwhelmed. She loves a challenge, and has been competing in championship meets in Bahrain since the age of 7.
“Everyone is asking her what she is going to swim, asking her how old she is. One of the coaches who works with Campbell interviewed her the other day. I’m sure the World Championships will be an unforgettable experience for her,” Salem told Sport 360.
Salem also spoke of one of his daughter’s coaches, Khalifa Ali, who recently passed away. Alzain will be swimming in honor of him.
Alzain’s goals at the meet are to clock a 34 or faster in the 50 free and a 41 or faster in the 50 fly. She’ll swim the 50 fly on August 7th and the 50 free on August 8th.
I am going to enter my 10 year old next year – she would love to swim with her idols –
This is so stupid come on Fina!
But not for long I swim with Alzain in the bahrain swimming team and I’m her age don’t worry we will not stop I’m actually a bit faster then her and there was an incedent that caused me not being able to attend the meet.
Don’t you see that this is all part of her dad’s work because her dad is the coach so ya
I’m sure it will be a great experience for the young lady, but are there not time standards for this event? I understand waivers are given to facilitate diversity, but we’re talking about someone who seems to be just an average 10 year old, performance-wise. Her goal time of 41 in the 50 fly wouldn’t even qualify her for the age group state championship meet here, and her goal time of 34 in the 50 free would barely get her into that meet.
I think They only take the best from each country, and the country that sends the swimmer’s deside
But not for long I swim with Alzain in the bahrain swimming team and I’m her age don’t worry we will not stop I’m actually a bit faster then her and there was an incedent that caused me not being able to attend the meet.
Don’t you see that this is all part of her dad’s work because her dad is the coach so ya
Did they lift the age requirements to compete?
There is no minimum age for pool swimming at the World Championships, though other disciplines like synchro, diving and open water do have age minimums. So you can in theory have one of those precocious 13 year old girls go to senior/open Worlds and win a medal there but still be too young to compete at the Junior World Championships.