Kushagra Rawat makes a big splash

Kushagra Rawat clinched two gold medals and set a meet record as India got off to a decent start in the 10th Asian Age Group Swimming Championship at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on Tuesday.

The Delhi swimmer stopped the clock at 1:52.30 in the 200m freestyle event to improve on his previous personal best of 1:52.92. He was followed by Abbas Omar (1:52.33) of Syria, who missed out on the top prize by 300th of a second, and India’s Anand Anilkumar (1:54.19) to the podium.

“I caught up in the 75m mark. I saw the person next to me and pushed. I believed I had so much left in me so I just took all of it out. This is the first gold for India today so I’m really happy,” said Kushagra.

Kushagra then returned to the pool to take home the yellow metal and the record in the 800m freestyle category with a timing of 8:10.05. He shattered the previous record of 8:13.13 set by Lam Quang Naht of Vietnam set in the last meet.

Srihari Nataraj clinched gold in the 50m backstroke with a time of 25.30, a second ahead of Turkmenistan Atayev Merdan. Chograthin Kasipat of Thailand finished third with 26.36.

Maana Patel, another backstroker, clinched gold with a time of 29.92 in the 50m backstroke.

The Indian team, comprising of Virdhawal Khade, Sajan Prakash, Srihari and Anilkumar, took the gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay with a time of 3:23.72.

Meanwhile, in the age group level, Shoan Ganguly bagged a gold and silver in Group II. Ganguly took the silver in the 200m freestyle event with a time of 1:55.18 and followed that up with a gold medal in the 200m individual medley by touching the pad at 2:11.18.

Karnataka’s Ridhima Veerendra Kumar and Suvana Basker won bronze in 50m backstroke in Group II and Group I respectively.

India are third in the medals tally with six gold, six silvers and six bronze. Japan lead the table with a total medal count of 20, including 10 gold medals.

Results: Open: Men: 200m freestyle: Kushagra Rawat (Ind) 1:52.30, 1; Abbas Omar (Syr) 1:52.33, 2; Anand AnilKumar (Ind) 1:54.19, 3.

4x100m freestyle: India 3:23:72, 1; Iran 3:28:46, 2; Uzbekistan 3:30:59, 3.

100m breaststroke: Vladislav Mustafin (Uzb) 1:01.41, 1; Denis Petrashov (Kyr) 1:01.88, 2; Likith Selvaraj (IND) 1:02.19, 3.

200m IM: Ketin Nuttapong (Tha) 2:06.29, 1; Sajan Prakash (Ind) 2:07.24, 2; Sukkieo Phuwadon (Tha) 2:08.21, 3.

50m backstroke: Srihari Natraj (Ind) 25.30, 1; Atayev Merdan (Tuk) 26.30, 2; Chograthin Kasipat (Tha) 26.36, 3.

800m freestyle: Kushagra Rawat (Ind) 8:10.05 (NMR, OR: 8:13.13, Lam Quang Naht 2017), 1; Chang Cheng Li Wei (Tpe) 8:20.14, 2; Abbas Omar (Syr) 8:31.64, 3.

Women: 200m freestyle: Junkrajang Natthanan (Tha) 2:02.89, 1; Shivani Kataria (Ind) 2:05.75, 2; Yamsuan Fonpray (Tha) 2:05.80, 3.

4x100m freestyle: Thailand 3:54:29, 1; India 4:00:76, 2; Hong Kong 4:08:64, 3.

100m breaststroke: Vu Thi Phuong Anh (Vie) 1:11.84, 1; Boonamphai Saovanee (Tha) 1:12.45, 2; Srisa Ard Jenjira (Tha) 1:12.49, 3.

200m IM: Pawapotako Phiangkhwan (Tha) 2:21.41, 1; Wong Ching Lam Athena (Hkg) 2:22.42, 2; Nimdam Kanitta (Tha) 2:23.96, 3.

50m backstroke: Maana Patel (Ind) 29.92, 1; Boonamphai Saovanee (Tha) 30.29, 2; Nimdam Kanitta (Tha) 30.39, 3.

800m freestyle: Junkrajang Natthanan (Tha) 9:14.25, 1; Teeka Katawan (Tha) 9:23.69, 2; Shivani Kataria (Ind) 9:27.62, 3.

Other Indian medallists: Group I: Boys: 4x100m freestyle: India 3:33:52, 3.

Girls: 50m backstroke: Suvana Basker 30.32, 3.

Group II: Boys: 4x100m Freestyle: India 3:41:49, 2.

200m freestyle: Shoan Ganguly 1:55.18, 2.

200m IM: Shoan Ganguly 2:11.18, 1.

50m backstroke: Sahil Laskar 28.11, 2.

Girls: 50m backstroke: Ridhima Kumar 30.64, 3.