Ben Proud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ben Proud

Personal information
Born	(1994-09-21) 21 September 1994 (age 30) London, England
Height	1.91 m
Weight	94 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, butterfly
Club	Energy Standard
Coach	James Gibson 2016–present Jon Rudd To 2016
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 2024 Paris 50 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2017 Budapest 50 m butterfly Gold 2022 Budapest 50 m freestyle Bronze 2017 Budapest 50 m freestyle Bronze 2023 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle Bronze 2024 Doha 50 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 2021 Abu Dhabi 50 m freestyle Silver 2022 Melbourne 50 m freestyle European Championships (LC) Gold 2014 Berlin 4x100 m medley Gold 2018 Glasgow 50 m freestyle Gold 2022 Rome 50 m freestyle Silver 2018 Glasgow 50 m butterfly Silver 2021 Budapest 50 m freestyle Bronze 2014 Berlin 50 m butterfly Bronze 2016 London 50 m freestyle Bronze 2016 London 50 m butterfly European Championships (SC) Gold 2023 Otopeni 50 m freestyle Gold 2023 Otopeni 4x50 m freestyle Gold 2023 Otopeni 4x50 m mixed freestyle Silver 2017 Copenhagen 50 m freestyle Bronze 2017 Copenhagen 50 m butterfly Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow 50 m freestyle Gold 2014 Glasgow 50 m butterfly Gold 2018 Gold Coast 50 m freestyle Gold 2022 Birmingham 50 m freestyle Gold 2022 Birmingham 50 m butterfly Silver 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley Bronze 2014 Glasgow 4×100 m freestyle

Benjamin "Ben" Proud (born 21 September 1994) is an English swimmer who competes for Great Britain and England. He is known for his fast sprint races, especially the 50-metre freestyle and butterfly events.

Ben has won many important medals. He became a world champion in the 50-metre freestyle in 2022 and in the 50-metre butterfly in 2017. He is one of only three male swimmers to be a world champion in the 50-metre freestyle in both short-course (25m pool) and long-course (50m pool) swimming at the same time. In 2024, he won his first Olympic medal, a silver, in the 50-metre freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

He also holds two British national records. Ben has won multiple gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships.

Ben Proud's Early Life

Ben Proud was born in London, England, on 21 September 1994. When he was only five months old, his family moved to Malaysia. He grew up in Damansara, a city in Malaysia, with his brother, Oliver.

Ben went to the Alice Smith School from kindergarten until he was 17. At school, he was part of the swimming team, called KLASS Torpedoes. His coach, Francis Kiu, was a professional Malaysian swimmer. Ben competed in many international swim meets across Southeast Asia. He even won the 50-metre butterfly and came second in the 50-metre freestyle at the Malaysian Open.

In 2011, when Ben was 16, he moved back to England. He wanted to focus on swimming as a career. He joined Plymouth College as a swimming scholar, which means he got help with his studies because of his swimming talent. After school, he studied Sports Development & Coaching at the University of St Mark & St John. He trained with coach Jon Rudd in Plymouth before moving to the Energy Standard International Swim Club in Turkey in 2017.

Ben's Swimming Career

Ben Proud started to make a name for himself in swimming in 2013. He won a silver medal in the 50-metre butterfly at the European Junior Championships. This showed everyone he was one of Britain's fastest sprinters. Later that year, he won a gold medal in the butterfly and a silver in the 50-metre freestyle at the British Gas International Meet.

He kept getting better, breaking the 50-metre butterfly British record twice in one day! This gave him his first British Gas Swimming Championship title when he was just 19.

Ben also improved his personal best times in the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle races. This earned him a spot on the British team for the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona. He did well there, finishing 18th in the 50-metre freestyle and 11th in the 50-metre butterfly.

In 2014, at only 19, Ben won his first senior international medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, representing England. The next month, he won a gold medal in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay and a bronze in the 50-metre butterfly for Great Britain at his first European Championships.

At the 2016 European Aquatics Championships in London, Ben won two bronze medals. He got one in the 50-metre butterfly and another in the 50-metre freestyle. He also represented Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle events.

World Championship Success

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, Ben Proud surprised many by winning a gold medal in the 50-metre butterfly. He set a new national record with a time of 22.75 seconds. He also won a bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle.

In 2022, at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Ben won another gold medal. This time it was in his main event, the 50-metre freestyle. This was his second world title.

Commonwealth and European Medals

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Ben won several medals. He earned a silver medal in the 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay. He also broke his own Games record in the 50-metre freestyle heats and semi-finals, then won the final. He also got a silver medal in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay.

At the 2018 European Aquatics Championships in Glasgow, Ben won a silver medal in the 50-metre butterfly. He then set a new world record for the 50-metre freestyle (in a textile swimsuit) in the semi-finals and won his first gold medal at the European Championships in the final.

In 2019, Ben was part of the first International Swimming League with the Energy Standard Swim Club. His team won the championship in Las Vegas.

In May 2021, at the European Championships in Budapest, Ben won a silver medal in the 50-metre freestyle.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Ben won a gold medal in the 50-metre butterfly event.

Recent Achievements

In 2023, Ben won the 50-metre freestyle at the 2023 British Swimming Championships for the fifth time. He also became the European short-course champion in the 50-metre freestyle for the first time, which was a gold medal he had been aiming for.

In 2024, after winning the 50-metre freestyle at the 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, Ben secured his spot for the 2024 Summer Olympics. On August 2, 2024, he won a silver medal in the 50-metre freestyle final at the Olympics.

Ben's Best Times

Ben Proud has set impressive times in his races. Here are some of his best:

Some of these times are British Records!

See also

• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)