Ten-year-old Tareq targets bigger things after making history

DPA /Kazan, RussiaMany 10-year-olds would be happy with being the youngest ever swimmer at a World Championships but Bahrain’s Alzain Tareq is already targeting bigger and better things. “It’s hard for me to beat the world record now but I can do it when I am older,” Tareq said after competing in the heats of the 50 metre butterfly in Kazan yesterday. Her time of 41.13 seconds placed her last in the field of 64, around 15 seconds slower than world record-holder Sarah Sjostrom who led the event. The crowd in the Kazan Arena came to life at the sight of the slight girl taking to the starting blocks, competing against adults and being far from disgraced. And if qualifying times are a guide, she will not finish last in the heats of her other event, the 50m freestyle today. Tareq, who said earlier in the week she was in Kazan to enjoy the experience and learn, has dealt calmly and patiently with the world’s media who hang on her every word. Other swimmers have also been impressed been intrigued by Tareq with mutual requests for photos being made. Swimming is no stranger to teenage prodigies—American star Katie Ledecky won an Olympic medal aged 15 and, now 18, is on course to become the first person to win the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m free titles at the Worlds. Tareq will be 15 when the Tokyo Olympics arrive in 2020 and that is her current aim. “She dreams about being one of the best of the world and already talks about the Olympics,” her father Tareq Salem said. “We have set 2020 in Tokyo as a goal and based our strategy on that. Hopefully we can implement the plan.” Salem himself is a former professional swimmer and keeps a careful eye on his daughter’s training regime. She trains five days a week, based around going to school, and he is confident it is not too much. “We’re not burning her out,” he said, adding that he was “very proud” of her accomplishments to date. The Bahrain women’s team includes 11 other girls, all under the age of 12. As the pick of the bunch, it was Tareq who made the flight to Kazan. “I am the fastest swimmer in Bahrain, and so they chose me,” she explained. “But we also have younger swimmers in Bahrain, they are eight.” Tareq, it seems, is not the only swimmer in Bahrain with an eye on the future.