Jewish Chronicle Sports News October 10th, 2007

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Young swimmer wins Israeli national title

Swiss Cottage swimmer Reut Benaim has triumphed in this summer's Israeli age-13 Championships in Netanya, winning the 200 m butterfly in 2:39 and coming second in the 100 m butterfly in 1:10. The Southbank International School pupil prepared for her events by reuniting with her Israeli club Yishovey Gderot and coach Tatyana Klontrov, with whom she had trained from age five until coming

Reut Benaim at the Israeli Swimming Championships, August 2007

to London three years ago. "I really want to thank Tatyana and the club, and my Israeli family and friends, for their help as I was preparing for the championships. But I also want to acknowledge all the help I have received from everyone at Camden Swiss Cottage Swimming Club, especially my coach Dave Hobbs, who has really helped me develop my fitness in the last two years."

This season Benaim has set club records at both 50 m and 100 m butterfly, and she has been chosen to represent London at the longer distance in this month's National Inter-counties Championships, where she will also form part of the medley relay squad. Her main swimming goal for next year is the English National Championships.

Benaim, who also competes in freestyle events, trains two or three mornings and six afternoons per week, with each session lasting up to two hours. "But my priority is studying - I love maths and English and reading. After that comes the swimming. There isn't much time left for TV and chatting with my friends, but it is fine because this is the way that I can achieve my goals." 

As an Israeli champion, Benaim is following a well-established family tradition. Older brother Sagie won the Israeli under-17 cross-country championship last November, and both her mother Mazal and Mazal's sister Zehava Shmueli have won many Israeli distance running titles on the track, the roads and over cross-country.