Ten-Year-Old Makes Splash At World Championships

Ten-Year-Old Makes Splash At World Championships

After taking part in the global event in Kazan, Alzain Tareq could be eligible for next year’s Olympics – when she will be 11.

A 10-year-old girl has set a new record as the youngest swimmer ever to compete at a World Championships.

Alzain Tareq from Bahrain came a distant last in the 50m butterfly heats in Kazan with a time of 41.13 seconds.

That was almost 16 seconds behind the leading qualifiers – but she was not deterred.

“I am so happy to be here,” she told reporters. “I want to be able to learn the techniques and how they swim.”

Although way short of the qualifying time, Alzain was allowed to compete in the event because of a rule allowing each nation to have some representation.

“I am the fastest swimmer in Bahrain, and so they chose me,” she said.

The international governing body FINA does not have any minimum age limits for competitors but that is expected to change in the future.

Alzain’s participation in swimming’s most prestigious global event drew a mixed response.

British freestyle sprinter Fran Halsall said she did not “know what to make of it”, adding: “She’s tiny, but good on her to have a go. Bless her.”

Germany’s former world champion Franziska van Almisick qualified for the 1991 world championships when she was just 13.

However, she was not allowed to take part because the minimum age limit at the time was 14.

“I was allowed to start in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and I think 14 is a good age for it,” she told German media.

Alzain said the response from other competitors had generally been positive.

“A few of them have been surprised to see me swim here, but they have always asked my name and how old I am,” she said.

Alzain, who started to swim in 2009, is also entered in the 50m freestyle, and because she has competed at the world championships she could be eligible for next year’s Olympics in Brazil.

“I want to participate in the Olympics but I don’t want to be the last one there,” she said, adding that she has big ambitions for the future.

“It’s hard for me to beat the world record now but I can do it when I am older. When I am aged 15 or 16 I can do that I think,” she said.

Find the English equivalent of the following Hungarian expressions or sentence parts in the text.

1.    Egy tízéves kislány új rekordot állított fel

2.    de őt ez nem riasztotta el

3.    Annyira boldog vagyok, hogy itt vagyok

4.    nem engedték neki, hogy részt vegyen

5.    páran körülük meglepődtek, hogy itt látnak úszni

6.    nem akarok ott utolsó lenni

Key:

1.    A 10-year-old girl has set a new record

2.    but she was not deterred

3.    I am so happy to be here

4.    she was not allowed to take part

5.    A few of them have been surprised to see me swim here

6.    I don’t want to be the last one there