Olympic silver medallist Ben Proud is one of several pro swimmers who have signed up for the Enhanced Games.
Here’s everything you need to know about the British powerhouse ahead of his 50m freestyle showdown with Kristian Gkolomeev and James Magnussen.
1) Ben Proud spent much of his childhood in Malaysia
Ben Proud was born on 21 September 1994 in London; however, he spent the next decade or so in Malaysia.
He began swimming competitively at a young age, representing his school and regional teams in Southeast Asia, winning prestigious events such as the Malaysian Open and placing strongly in sprint freestyle races.
Proud moved back to England as a teenager to chase his dream of becoming an elite swimmer. He joined Plymouth College on a scholarship and later studied Sports Development and Coaching at the University of St Mark & St John.
2) He’s a championship performer
Ben Proud excelled on the championship stage for Great Britain.
He won double gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, taking the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly – plus a relay silver for good measure.
At the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, he won gold again in the 50 m butterfly and bronze in the 50m freestyle, setting a British record along the way.
He then defended his Commonwealth crown at the 2022 Birmingham Games, winning both 50m events.
He put the gloss on his career with silver in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, narrowly missing gold by just 0.05 seconds.
3) He won a hat-trick of championships in 2022
In 2022, he accomplished a rarely-achieved feat by winning World, European, and Commonwealth 50m freestyle titles in the same calendar year.
SEE ALSO: 2026 Enhanced Games: When, Where, and Who’s Competing?
