<p>Arvind M and Damini K Gowda finally opened defending champions Karnataka’s gold account but it was their arch-rivals Maharashtra who continued to hold sway for the third straight day of the 68th Senior National Aquatic Championships here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Having failed to muster a single gold on the first two days of the competition -- a rarity for Karnataka -- Arvind ended the drought for the powerhouse with a fine show in the 400M individual medley race, clocking 4:40.44. <br /><br />Railways’ Sanu Debnath timed 4:41.55 to claim silver while Merwyn Chen, also of Railways, won bronze (4:43.15).<br /><br />Minutes after Arvind’s triumph, Damini doubled Karnataka’s gold tally, powering to victory in the 200M butterfly event. <br /><br />The teen touched the pad in 2:24.85, well ahead of second-placed Srishti Nag (2:28.76) of Chhattisgarh and bronze medal winner VKR Meenakshi (2:30.58) of Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />Damini also pocketed a silver medal in the 200M backstroke, giving a decent fight to another rising star Maana Patel before being outdone by the Gujarati. <br /><br />Maana, just 14 but tipped to become the next big thing in Indian swimming, clocked 2:25.94 while Damini came home in 2:26.58.<br /><br /> Karnataka’s Vaania Kapoor Achuthan clinched bronze with a timing of 2:28.64.<br /><br />Karnataka also had to settle for silver in the two 4x100M medley relays. <br /><br />While the men lost to Railways, who set a new national record with a timing of 3:51.48, the women were beaten by Maharashtra.<br /><br />It was another eventual day for 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Veerdhawal Khade.<br /><br /> The Maharashtrian, who nailed the 50M freestyle gold upon his return to the pool following a two-year absence to concentrate on his career with the State government, won the 50M butterfly gold with a timing of 24.95 seconds. <br /><br />Railways’ Sarma SP Nair (25.17) took silver and Gujarat’s Anshul Kothari (25.50) won bronze.<br /><br />Meanwhile in waterpolo, Karnataka women will take on Kerala in the semifinals on Saturday. <br /><br />Results: Men: 50M butterfly: Veerdhaval Khade (Maharashtra) 24.95 seconds, 1; Sarma SP Nair (Railways) 25.17, 2; Anshul Kothari (Gujarat) 25.50, 3.<br /><br />200M freestyle: Saurabh Sangvekar (Maharashtra) 01:53.10, 1; Sajan Prakash (Railways) 01:53.93, 2; Neil Contractor (Gujarat) 01:56.12, 3.<br /><br />400M individual medley: Arvind M (Karnataka) 04:40.44, 1; Sanu Debnath (Railways) 04:41.55, 2; Merwyn Chen (Railways) 04:43.15, 3.<br /><br />4x100M medley relay: Railways (03:51.48) (NR; Old: 3:53.87, Railways, 2013) 1; Karnataka (04:00.42) 2; Services (04:00.57) 3.<br /><br />Women: 200M backstroke: Maana Patel (Gujarat) 02:25.94, 1; Damini K Gowda (Karnataka) 02:26.58, 2; Vaania Kapoor Achuthan (Karnataka) 02:28.64, 3.<br /><br />200M butterfly: Damini K Gowda (Karnataka) 02:24.85, 1; Srishti Nag (Chhattisgarh) 02:28.76, 2; VKR Meenakshi (TN) 02:30.58, 3.<br /><br />800M freestyle: Monique Gandhi (Maharashtra) 09:15.74, 1; Richa Mishra (Police) 09:16.29, 2; PM Abishiktha (TN) 09:36.06, 3.<br /><br />4x100M medley relay: Maharashtra (04:34.91) 1; Karnataka (04:40.46) 2; Gujarat (04:48.33) 3.<br /><br />Diving: Men: 3M springboard: K Ramananda Sharma (Services) 369.70 metres (NR; Old: Viraj Patil, 354.75, 2006) 1; Surojit Rajbanshi (Kerala) 327.90, 2; M Manesh Kumar (Servces) 302.15, 3.<br /><br />Women: 3M springboard: Simran Rajani (Maharashtra) 188.10, 1; Hrutika Shriram (Railways) 176.00, 2; Deepti Panwar (Services) 163.95, 3.</p>
<p>Arvind M and Damini K Gowda finally opened defending champions Karnataka’s gold account but it was their arch-rivals Maharashtra who continued to hold sway for the third straight day of the 68th Senior National Aquatic Championships here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Having failed to muster a single gold on the first two days of the competition -- a rarity for Karnataka -- Arvind ended the drought for the powerhouse with a fine show in the 400M individual medley race, clocking 4:40.44. <br /><br />Railways’ Sanu Debnath timed 4:41.55 to claim silver while Merwyn Chen, also of Railways, won bronze (4:43.15).<br /><br />Minutes after Arvind’s triumph, Damini doubled Karnataka’s gold tally, powering to victory in the 200M butterfly event. <br /><br />The teen touched the pad in 2:24.85, well ahead of second-placed Srishti Nag (2:28.76) of Chhattisgarh and bronze medal winner VKR Meenakshi (2:30.58) of Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />Damini also pocketed a silver medal in the 200M backstroke, giving a decent fight to another rising star Maana Patel before being outdone by the Gujarati. <br /><br />Maana, just 14 but tipped to become the next big thing in Indian swimming, clocked 2:25.94 while Damini came home in 2:26.58.<br /><br /> Karnataka’s Vaania Kapoor Achuthan clinched bronze with a timing of 2:28.64.<br /><br />Karnataka also had to settle for silver in the two 4x100M medley relays. <br /><br />While the men lost to Railways, who set a new national record with a timing of 3:51.48, the women were beaten by Maharashtra.<br /><br />It was another eventual day for 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Veerdhawal Khade.<br /><br /> The Maharashtrian, who nailed the 50M freestyle gold upon his return to the pool following a two-year absence to concentrate on his career with the State government, won the 50M butterfly gold with a timing of 24.95 seconds. <br /><br />Railways’ Sarma SP Nair (25.17) took silver and Gujarat’s Anshul Kothari (25.50) won bronze.<br /><br />Meanwhile in waterpolo, Karnataka women will take on Kerala in the semifinals on Saturday. <br /><br />Results: Men: 50M butterfly: Veerdhaval Khade (Maharashtra) 24.95 seconds, 1; Sarma SP Nair (Railways) 25.17, 2; Anshul Kothari (Gujarat) 25.50, 3.<br /><br />200M freestyle: Saurabh Sangvekar (Maharashtra) 01:53.10, 1; Sajan Prakash (Railways) 01:53.93, 2; Neil Contractor (Gujarat) 01:56.12, 3.<br /><br />400M individual medley: Arvind M (Karnataka) 04:40.44, 1; Sanu Debnath (Railways) 04:41.55, 2; Merwyn Chen (Railways) 04:43.15, 3.<br /><br />4x100M medley relay: Railways (03:51.48) (NR; Old: 3:53.87, Railways, 2013) 1; Karnataka (04:00.42) 2; Services (04:00.57) 3.<br /><br />Women: 200M backstroke: Maana Patel (Gujarat) 02:25.94, 1; Damini K Gowda (Karnataka) 02:26.58, 2; Vaania Kapoor Achuthan (Karnataka) 02:28.64, 3.<br /><br />200M butterfly: Damini K Gowda (Karnataka) 02:24.85, 1; Srishti Nag (Chhattisgarh) 02:28.76, 2; VKR Meenakshi (TN) 02:30.58, 3.<br /><br />800M freestyle: Monique Gandhi (Maharashtra) 09:15.74, 1; Richa Mishra (Police) 09:16.29, 2; PM Abishiktha (TN) 09:36.06, 3.<br /><br />4x100M medley relay: Maharashtra (04:34.91) 1; Karnataka (04:40.46) 2; Gujarat (04:48.33) 3.<br /><br />Diving: Men: 3M springboard: K Ramananda Sharma (Services) 369.70 metres (NR; Old: Viraj Patil, 354.75, 2006) 1; Surojit Rajbanshi (Kerala) 327.90, 2; M Manesh Kumar (Servces) 302.15, 3.<br /><br />Women: 3M springboard: Simran Rajani (Maharashtra) 188.10, 1; Hrutika Shriram (Railways) 176.00, 2; Deepti Panwar (Services) 163.95, 3.</p>