Proud delighted to win UK’s first gold

BEN PROUD claimed it was a “special thing” after he delivered the UK’s first gold at the world swimming championships last night in Budapest.

The 27-year-old Londoner blitzed to the men’s 50 metres freestyle title in 21.32 seconds with American Michel Andrew earning silver and fellow Briton Lewis Burras finishing seventh.

After missing out on Olympic glory in Tokyo, Proud – now a two-time world champion following his butterfly crown in 2017 – reckons he could retire happy as the quickest man in the pool.

He said: “You saw in the 50m butterfly, I was lane four and came seventh, so anything can happen. It’s really about not thinking about ‘what is next, what is next?’ You get on the blocks, dive in, swim and touch the wall.

“It’s just about being composed in the moment. If you overthink and think too far into the future, that’s the race over. I thought that I had a really big margin between myself and the others last night, and I didn’t take my foot off the gas. I’m glad I didn’t because Michael Andrew went faster than I did yesterday.”

Scots star Lucy Hope, who swam in the morning heats, missed out on a medal in the mixed 4x100 freestyle relay when the British quartet of Tom Dean, Burras, Anna Hopkin and Freya Anderson came fourth as Australia broke the world record for gold in 3:19.38.

Hopkin qualified seventh for today’s women’s 50m freestyle final, while Dan Jervis reached the men’s 1500m freestyle final.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom claimed her fourth 50m butterfly title in a row in 24.95 secs.

Meanwhile, FINA last night barred American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez from competing further in Budapest after she fainted and had to be rescued from the pool on Wednesday. The two-time Olympian objected to the move but organisers insisted it was taken “with her best interests in mind”.