Wild-card entrant, swimmer Anum Bandey might have finished last in the 400m individual medley at the London Olympics 2010, but she still managed to make her mark. At the event, Bandey created a new national record when she clocked 5:34.64 in 400m individual medley at the Aquatic Centre. She had earned the Olympic wild card entry after she had set a new national record of five minutes, 37.11 seconds during the 14th FINA World Championships held in Shanghai in 2011.

Pakistan's British-born Anum Bandey, 15, is the third swimmer in country’s Olympic Games history. In her brief comments to British media after appearing at the event, Bandey was quoted: “It was amazing... I was really nervous at the start.... I had to break the national record which I did but I have been preparing for a year and to compete with all of these amazing athletes is an amazing experience. It’s one I will remember for a long time,” she said, adding, “You can learn a lot from here. I have learnt a lot from the older athletes”. In Britain, Bandey trains at Barnet Copthall swimming club in North-west London.

Rubab Raza was the first Pakistani female swimmer and featured in 50m Freestyle in Athens Olympics 2004. At the age of 13 at the time of her Olympic race, Raza was the youngest Pakistani female ever to compete at an Olympics while swimmer Kiran Khan was second in line representing Pakistan in Beijing Olympics 2008 and testing her mettle in 50m Freestyle medley.—I.A.T.