Never mind the names of the champions at the Swimming World Championship, taking place in Kazan, Russia. The one person most likely to capture the interest of everybody there is a 10-year-old Bahraini girl who is competing.

All eyes will be Alzain Tareq - from Bahrain - will become the youngest swimmer to take part at the history of the World Championships. She will be competing in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle on Friday and Saturday against competitors more than double her age.

Tareq started swimming at the age of four, and one of her former coaches Khalifa Ali died six months ago. Over the 50m distance, her personal best is 38.21 seconds, but she recorded 41.12 seconds in qualification.

The World Championships will be an unforgettable experience for her.

Kazan 2015, the tournament’s official website interviewed Tareq. Here is what she thinks of her unprecedented experience.

Q: Alzain, do you know you are the youngest participant at these Championships?

A: Yes, and it is a nice feeling.

Q: How could you possibly qualify for the Worlds at such a young age?

A: It is quite logical. I’m the fastest swimmer in Team Bahrain (smiles). I was the fastest among my rivals at the qualifying stage. Were there adult swimmers? Yes, sure. But I had had to overcome my peers before I got there.

Q: What is your target for the World Championships in 2015?

A: The most important thing for me is to gain experience of competing at high-profile events, watch the technical skills of famous Olympic champions and maybe even add some of their skills to my armoury.

Q: Did you come to Kazan without an intention to win?

A: We’ll see (smiles). For that, I must show my personal best.

The full interview is here.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:45 - GMT 06:45