BEIJING, Aug 15: Antoinette Guedia Mouafo of Cameroon, 12, became the Beijing Games’ youngest competitor on Friday, racing in a 50m pool for the first time as she contested the women’s 50m freestyle heats.

“It’s amazing to swim in an Olympic-size pool,” said the youngster, who stepped professionally onto the starting block, grasped the front edge and took the plunge.

“It’s true, I have never swum in a 50-metre long pool, I usually swim in a 20 or 25 metres one.”

She admitted that she found the experience, before 17,000 fans at the Water Cube where her age was pointed out to the crowd, daunting.

“It’s impressive, it’s nice, but I am a bit shy, so this is not easy for me,” she said. “Before I came, I didn’t really know what the Olympics was. It is huge.”

Guedia Mouafo finished a creditable fourth in her heat, in 33.59sec. It was the 83rd-fastest time out of 90 starters and 9.39sec behind overall leader Cate Campbell of Australia, who at 16 is four years her senior.

Guedia Mouafo said she was introduced to swimming by her father when she was eight, in a hotel pool in Douala, Cameroon.

“My father wanted me to learn to swim, but it has turned into a sport for me,” she said, adding that she trains in a 25m pool three to five times a week.

But she had no plans to forsake her other ambitions.

“I still go to school,” she added. “I would like to study medicine when I am older.”

One of the best parts of competing in Beijing, she said, was a chance to meet her swimming idols, France’s Coralie Balmy, Malia Metella and Laure Manaudou and Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry.—AFP