A YOUNG swimming star recorded two personal bests during her international debut at the weekend. Stephanie Proud, 13, of Durham, made history by becoming the youngest ever to represent Britain in the Fina Swimming World Cup in Paris.
The teenager, who trains at Chester-le-Street baths and the Raich Carter Centre, in Sunderland, joined team mates twice her age in the tournament.
She was selected after impressing British Swimming's national performance director, Bill Sweetenham, and youth director John Atkinson, by winning gold and silver medals in the European Youth Olympics in Spain. In the World Cup, she recorded a personal best time of 2.12.04 in the 200m backstroke, coming fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal, and another personal best of 1.08.67 the 100m individual medley.
Stephanie, a pupil at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, hops to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
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