Alzain Tareq's age was just 10 years at the time when she participated in the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia, and she was one of the youngest competitors that one would notice at the championships. While Guinness World Records states that Alzain Tareq is the youngest female competitor in the history of the championships.
Tareq competed in the women’s 50m butterfly on August 7, 2015 and even though she was only 10, she was sharing the stage with swimmers from around the world.
Tareq's first race in Kazan
She was drawn into the first heat of the 50m butterfly. Tareq finished in 41.13 seconds, coming last in the heat and she was also 64th out of 64 swimmers in the event, as per The Guardian report. Tareq said, “I feel so happy,” adding, “I was a bit nervous walking out there, I have never swum in front of so many. It was cool today and I am looking forward to swimming again tomorrow (in the 50m freestyle),” as quoted by The Guardian.
She had already been swimming for years
Tareq may have been just 10, but she was not new to the pool. She started swimming when she was four, as per an ESPN report. Her father, Tareq Salem, who was a former swimmer and was with her in Kazan.
Before the World Championships, Tareq had competed at meets in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan, as per the report.
