Ben Proud Still Flashing Premier Speed En Route to Fifth World Champs Medal in 50 Freestyle
The first time Ben Proud raced the 50-meter freestyle at the World Championships, he was an 18-year-old rising star at the 2013 installment of the competition, held in Barcelona. The British sprinter finished 18th in that appearance, clocking 22.31 to miss the semifinals by only .06.
He’s battled for a medal in every edition since.
In his latest World Champs foray, Proud captured the silver medal, his time of 21.26 finishing just behind the gold-medal performance of Australian Cam McEvoy. The Singapore final marked Proud’s seventh straight at Worlds, a streak that began in 2015. It was also his fifth medal in the event at the World Championships, including four consecutive from 2022-2025.
Consistency and the ability to flourish in pressurized moments are trademarks of Proud’s career. In this latest final, Proud not only had to duel the fastest men in the world, but also had to overcome the stomach illness that has been a regular storyline at the meet.
“I was still suffering from the viral bug that was going around,” Proud said. “All expectations just went out the window. The only important thing was getting through the rounds, making it to the final, and enjoying that process. The less-than-ideal runup almost took the pressure off. I just aimed to get through the rounds, hoping to sneak a podium spot. My analogy is, I always want to be among the best, so when opportunities arise, I’m there to reap the rewards.”
Rewards have been aplenty at Worlds for the 30-year-old, who has joined McEvoy as the Old Guard in the one-lap sprint. Prior to his silver medal in Singapore, Proud was the gold medalist in 2022 and earned bronze medals in 2017, 2023 and 2024. More, he was eighth in 2015 and fifth in 2019. Proud has also finaled at the past three Olympic Games, capturing the silver medal behind McEvoy last summer in Paris.
A two-time European champion and three-time Commonwealth Games titlist in the 50 freestyle, Proud will eventually head into retirement worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. But Proud has no plans to walk away just yet, with Europeans and the Commonwealth Games on tap for the 2026 campaign.
He’ll head into that next season with momentum from Singapore, and the knowledge he continues to flash some of the premier speed in the sport.
“It’s almost frustrating to do it on the last race of the year because you don’t get a chance to fix mistakes or improve,” he said of his performance in finals, the fourth-fastest of his career. “But the fact I hit a 21.2 in a final, where it matters most, is something I’ll always be proud of.”
