BEN PROUD finally achieved his dream of winning an Olympic Games medal.
The former Plymouth College pupil had won world, European and Commonwealth Games titles, but the one medal missing from his impressive collection was an Olympic one.
He came fourth in the men’s 50m freestyle event in Rio in 2016 and was joint fifth in Tokyo.
But he finally made the podium in Paris with a well-deserved silver medal in France on Friday evening.
He clocked 21.30 seconds, which was just 0.05 of a second off gold, which was won by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy. France’s Florent Manaudou took bronze with 21.56 seconds.
Proud was delighted with his medal and admitted McEvoy had pushed him to new levels.
“If you had told me I would be sharing the podium with him (McEvoy) two years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Proud. “He’s done phenomenal things and changed the way I do my training to some extent.”
Proud admitted the disappointment in Tokyo did made Friday’s success more special.
“Three years ago about this time I just burst into tears, I couldn’t take the fact that I’d kind of failed in my race back in Tokyo,” he said.
“That was probably the most fitting thing I went through because if I hadn’t gone through that I wouldn’t have of experienced these last three years which have been the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
“Back in 2022 hitting what I would say was my rock bottom and it has led to me finding a very great balance with my swimming, my lifestyle with my coaches and I feel this time around I’ve definitely done what I wanted to do – the cherry on top is sharing that podium with bronze medallist Florent [Manaudou] as we share the same coach in James Gibson.”
His former Plymouth Leander team-mate Tom Fannon, now swimming for Ireland, just missed out on the reaching the 50m freestyle final. He broke the Irish record in both the heats and semi-finals, lowering it to 21.74, but he just missed out on the final by 0.06 of a second.
Fellow former Plymouth College student and Plymouth Leander swimmer Honey Osrin, making her senior debut for Great Britain, came seventh in the Olympic women’s 200m backstroke final on Friday evening with a 2:08.16 swim. She had set a new PB of 2:07.84 to reach the final.
Osrin said: “It’s a learning experience as it’s my first senior meet at an Olympic final so I’m happy.
“I came away with a PB, but I just didn’t race it (the final) the best that I should have. I know there is a 2:06 in there it’s just got to be the perfect race to make that time.
She added: “I have had so much fun. I was just happy to progress through into semis and even finals. I’ve had a PB as well so I couldn’t have asked for much more.”
The day before, world champion Laura Stephens had come eighth in the women’s 200m butterfly final.
Afterwards she said: “It was an amazing crowd, the atmosphere out there is everything you could dream of, but in terms of my own performance, not everything I could’ve dreamed of unfortunately.
“I was hoping to step up from what I did in the semis, but I just didn’t have that gear. I tried my best but unfortunately the result wasn’t there.”
The University of Plymouth graduate added: “I’ve really enjoyed this experience. Coming off the back of my first Olympics in Tokyo, it was a different environment – this has been much more enjoyable, I’ve actually been able to have friends and family in the crowd that have travelled to see me.
“I’m just so grateful for all their support, and beyond my family and friends, everyone at Aquatics GB that helps, my coach Dave Hemmings, and then everyone who plays The National Lottery back in the UK. Our network of support is so big for athletes like myself through that, and we honestly can’t sing praises enough for everyone in the country that backs us, we can really feel it all behind us with Team GB.”
Away from swimming, Plymouth rower Chloe Brew came 12th in the women’s pairs with Team GB team-mate Rebecca Edwards.