10-year-old girl Alzain Tareq takes part in Swimming World Championships

ByToby Keel

Updated 07/08/2015 at 12:11 GMT

Alzain Tareq of Bahrain made swimming history on Friday when she became the youngest person ever to take part in the World Championships.

Tareq lined up in the heats of the 50m butterfly, and while she did not beat her personal best she did herself huge credit by posting a remarkable time of 41.13 seconds.

“I’m very happy,” she told reporters afterwards. “It was fun. Now I want to lower my mark in the 50 freestyle.”

She will take part in the 50m freestyle heats on Saturday.

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Tareq has been swimming competitively since she was four years old and travelling to meetings from the age of five.

She has since become the fastest swimmer in the nation of 1.3 million people, thus earning the right to line up at the sport's biggest event outside the Olympics.

Alzain Tareq interviewed poolside in Kazan

Image credit: LaPresse

Her father, Salem, has backed her career from the start and said before the event that, "the World Championships will be an unforgettable experience for her."

Alzain Tareq, 10-year-old star of the Swimming World Championships

Image credit: Other Agency

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