<p>Karnataka made a sedate start to the 68th Senior National Aquatic Championship campaign while arch-rivals Maharashtra got off in resplendant fashion here on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Arvind M and Damini K Gowda, who are leading the depleted defending champion’s quest for a 24th straight overall championship, could only manage silver medals as the powerhouses of national swimming failed to muster even a single gold.<br /><br />Maharashtra, on the other hand, pocketed four gold medals, giving a sound indication of things to come at this meet where Karnataka are facing one of their stiffest challenges in recent times.<br /><br />Arvind finished second in the 100M backstroke to Services’ Madhu PS, who set a new national record with a timing of 57.95 seconds.<br /><br /> While Arvind clocked 59.02, Madhya Pradesh’s Rohit Imoliya captured the bronze in a timing of 59.75.<br /><br />Damini, one of the talents to watch out for, also failed to hit the top gear as she ended up second in the women’s 100M butterfly and 100M backstroke races. <br /><br />Other medal winners for Karnataka were Likith SP (bronze, 200M breaststroke), Malvika V (silver, 400M freestyle) and Vania Kapoor Achuthan (bronze, 100M backstroke). <br /><br />Karnataka girls also won a silver in the 4x200M freestyle relay (9:12.42), behind Maharashtra (9:07.06) but ahead of Kerala (9:26.07).<br /><br />Aaron D’Souza, who resides in Bangalore and has represented Karnataka before securing a job with the Railways, won the 100M butterfly gold in a timing of 55.81 seconds.<br /><br /> His Railways colleague Sharma SP Nair took silver while Bengal’s Supriya Mondal bagged bronze.<br /><br />Results: Men: 100M backstroke: Madhu PS (SSCB) 57.95 (NR; Old: MB Balakrishnan, 58.30, 2010) 1; Arvind M (Kar) 59.02, 2; Rohit Imoliya (MP) 59.75, 3.<br /><br />100M butterfly: Aaron D’Souza (RSPB) 55.81 seconds, 1; Sharma SP Nair (RSPB) 56.57, 2; Supriya Mondal (Ben) 56.64, 3.<br /><br />200M breaststroke: Sandeep Sejwal (RSPB) 2:16.10, 1; Anoop Augastin (RSPB) 2:19.22, 2; Likhit SP (Kar) 2:22.82, 3.<br /><br />400M freestyle: Saurabh Sangvekar (Mah) 3:56.17 (NR; Old: Sajan Prakash, 3:58.51, 2013) 1; Sajan Prakash (RSPB) 3:56.78, 2; Anand AS (Ker) 4:07.95, 3.<br /><br />4x200M freestyle relay: RSPB (7:56.30) 1; Gujarat (7:56.62) 2; SSCB (8:03.27) 3.<br /><br />Women: 100M butterfly: Jyotsana Pansare (Mah) 1:04.58, 1; Damini K Gowda (Kar) 1:05.61, 2; VKR Meenakshi (TN) 1:05.78, 3.<br /><br />200M breaststroke: Harleen Kaur (Pun) 2:47.91, 1; Rutuja Udeshi (Mah) 2:49.95, 2; Poorva Shetty (Mah) 2:51.92, 3.<br /><br />400M freestyle: Monique Gandhi (Mah) 4:27.86, 1; Malvika V (Kar) 4:30.21, 2; Richa Mishra (Police) 4:32.73, 3.<br /><br />100M backstroke: Maana Patel (Guj) 1:05.90, 1; Damini K Gowda (Kar) 1:07.93, 2; Vania Kapoor Achutan (Kar) 1:08.60, 3.<br /><br />4x200M freestyle relay: Maharashtra (9:07.06) 1; Karnataka (9:12.42) 2; Kerala (9:26.07) 3.</p>
<p>Karnataka made a sedate start to the 68th Senior National Aquatic Championship campaign while arch-rivals Maharashtra got off in resplendant fashion here on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Arvind M and Damini K Gowda, who are leading the depleted defending champion’s quest for a 24th straight overall championship, could only manage silver medals as the powerhouses of national swimming failed to muster even a single gold.<br /><br />Maharashtra, on the other hand, pocketed four gold medals, giving a sound indication of things to come at this meet where Karnataka are facing one of their stiffest challenges in recent times.<br /><br />Arvind finished second in the 100M backstroke to Services’ Madhu PS, who set a new national record with a timing of 57.95 seconds.<br /><br /> While Arvind clocked 59.02, Madhya Pradesh’s Rohit Imoliya captured the bronze in a timing of 59.75.<br /><br />Damini, one of the talents to watch out for, also failed to hit the top gear as she ended up second in the women’s 100M butterfly and 100M backstroke races. <br /><br />Other medal winners for Karnataka were Likith SP (bronze, 200M breaststroke), Malvika V (silver, 400M freestyle) and Vania Kapoor Achuthan (bronze, 100M backstroke). <br /><br />Karnataka girls also won a silver in the 4x200M freestyle relay (9:12.42), behind Maharashtra (9:07.06) but ahead of Kerala (9:26.07).<br /><br />Aaron D’Souza, who resides in Bangalore and has represented Karnataka before securing a job with the Railways, won the 100M butterfly gold in a timing of 55.81 seconds.<br /><br /> His Railways colleague Sharma SP Nair took silver while Bengal’s Supriya Mondal bagged bronze.<br /><br />Results: Men: 100M backstroke: Madhu PS (SSCB) 57.95 (NR; Old: MB Balakrishnan, 58.30, 2010) 1; Arvind M (Kar) 59.02, 2; Rohit Imoliya (MP) 59.75, 3.<br /><br />100M butterfly: Aaron D’Souza (RSPB) 55.81 seconds, 1; Sharma SP Nair (RSPB) 56.57, 2; Supriya Mondal (Ben) 56.64, 3.<br /><br />200M breaststroke: Sandeep Sejwal (RSPB) 2:16.10, 1; Anoop Augastin (RSPB) 2:19.22, 2; Likhit SP (Kar) 2:22.82, 3.<br /><br />400M freestyle: Saurabh Sangvekar (Mah) 3:56.17 (NR; Old: Sajan Prakash, 3:58.51, 2013) 1; Sajan Prakash (RSPB) 3:56.78, 2; Anand AS (Ker) 4:07.95, 3.<br /><br />4x200M freestyle relay: RSPB (7:56.30) 1; Gujarat (7:56.62) 2; SSCB (8:03.27) 3.<br /><br />Women: 100M butterfly: Jyotsana Pansare (Mah) 1:04.58, 1; Damini K Gowda (Kar) 1:05.61, 2; VKR Meenakshi (TN) 1:05.78, 3.<br /><br />200M breaststroke: Harleen Kaur (Pun) 2:47.91, 1; Rutuja Udeshi (Mah) 2:49.95, 2; Poorva Shetty (Mah) 2:51.92, 3.<br /><br />400M freestyle: Monique Gandhi (Mah) 4:27.86, 1; Malvika V (Kar) 4:30.21, 2; Richa Mishra (Police) 4:32.73, 3.<br /><br />100M backstroke: Maana Patel (Guj) 1:05.90, 1; Damini K Gowda (Kar) 1:07.93, 2; Vania Kapoor Achutan (Kar) 1:08.60, 3.<br /><br />4x200M freestyle relay: Maharashtra (9:07.06) 1; Karnataka (9:12.42) 2; Kerala (9:26.07) 3.</p>
