New Delhi | Star Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj was on a roll as he continued his record-breaking spree at the FINA short course World Championships on Monday (December 20).
The Ekalavya awardee in 2020, registered his third 'Best Indian time' as he clocked 48.65s in the men's 100m freestyle event to better Sajan Prakash's best Indian performance. However, the timing wasn't enough to take the 20-year old to the semifinals as he finished 38th in the overall heats and only the top 16 swimmers move forward.
The Bengaluru born Nataraj, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics after becoming the second Indian swimmer after Prakash to breach the 'A' qualifying time for the Olympics, had lodged 'Best Indian times' in the 50m and 100m backstroke events last week.
Delhi's Kushagra Rawat clocked 15:07.86s in the men's 1500m freestyle to finish 21st in the overall heats.
The timings clocked and records in this meet, which is being contested in a 25m swimming pool, are different from the more traditional long course ones.
A short course meet is contested in 25-metre pools, while the 50-metres pools are called long courses.
In swimming, a timing is taken into account a nationwide document when it has been achieved on the Nationwide Aquatic Championships.
Therefore, the timings clocked in different meets are known as the ‘Greatest Indian time’.
Srihari also holds a National record in the men’s 100m backstroke at Sette Colli Trophy Meet in Rome this year where he clocked a timing of 53.90 seconds bettering his own national. However, it was not enough to make the 'A' mark for the Tokyo Games set at 53.85 seconds.
He also won a gold medal in the 100m Backstroke at 2016 South Asian Aquatic Championships in Colombo which was followed by another gold in 200m Backstroke in the same event.
Looks like gold medal has always chased him. In National Junior Aquatic Championships which was held in Pune back in 2017 Srihari bagged gold in 50m Backstroke and followed it by two more golds in 100m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke in the same event.
