Date of Birth: 12/04/1990

Lives: Southport, Merseyside

Born: Southport, Merseyside

Coach: Colin Stripe

City of Liverpool swimmer Francesca Halsall will be competing in five events in her Olympic debut in Beijing: 50m freestyle 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x200m freestyle relay.

Aged 18, Fran had a hugely successful junior career and has firmly established herself as one of Great Britain’s most exciting talents. It has been a year to remember for the swimmer from Southport, who won four medals at the FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester in March 2008, set the 100m freestyle British record at the Olympic trials and also won a European relay gold at the end of 2007.

Fran was selected by Steve Parry, bronze medal winner for 200m butterfly at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, to join the Atos Origin ‘Champion and Challengers’ scheme in 2005.

2008 Olympic Games, Beijing,  100m butterfly,  HEATS

2008 Olympic Games, Beijing,  4 x 100m freestyle relay,  7TH PLACE

2008 Olympic Games, Beijing,  4 x 200m freestyle relay,  HEATS

2008 Olympic Games, Beijing,  4 x 100m medley relay,  4TH PLACE

2008 Olympic Games, Beijing,  100m freestyle, 8TH PLACE

2008 Olympic Games, Beijing,  50m freestyle,  SEMI FINALIST

2008 World Championships, Manchester, 100m freestyle SILVER

2008 World Championships, Manchester, 50m freestyle BRONZE

2008 World Championships, Manchester, 4x100m freestyle BRONZE

2008 World Championships, Manchester, 4x100m medley BRONZE

2007 European Championships, Hungary, 4x100m medley GOLD

2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, 4x100m freestyle SILVER  

2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, 4x100m medley SILVER