Meet The Team - Craig Benson
Get to know World Junior champion Craig Benson. Read his Tweets, view images, watch videos of him in action and being interviewed, check how his Olympic rivals compare with him and much more.
D.O.B.
30.04.1994
Born
Livingston
Height
6ft
Training base
Warrender Baths SC
Coach
Laurel Bailey
Olympic History
Debut
In Action
100m Breaststroke on 29 July
Did you know?
- Craig admits he doesn't come from a swimming family - his father Nigel can't swim and he only started the sport to follow his brother Andrew who swam to help his asthma - but his uncle Alan Doris won the Scottish 100m title on the athletics track in 1988.
- He counts Michael Phelps, Kosuke Kitajima and David Wilkie as three of his swimming heroes.
- His favourite meal is steak and chips but he has to be careful with what he eats - in 2010 he discovered a number of food intolerances had been affecting his training and performances.
Craig's Career
After an encouraging first taste of international swimming at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival in Tampere, Craig took giant steps forward in 2011 to put himself in the frame for an Olympic spot. He impressed at the European Junior Championships in Belgrade with 100m Breaststroke silver and a fourth place in the 50m Breast. A month later, he played a starring role for the British team at the World Youth Championships in Lima, winning gold in the 100m Breaststroke and silver in the 50m Breast. A senior major championship debut followed at the 2011 European Short Course Championships before Craig made his mark at the 2012 British Champs, setting a personal best to win silver and secure his Olympic spot in the 100m Breaststroke.
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