Nettakallappa Swimming Competition: Chinthan Shetty outsmarts two-time Olympian Srihari Nataraj

Bengaluru: Quick start off the blocks and a sprightly finish to the touch pad saw young Chinthan S Shetty pip two-time Olympian Srihari Nataraj for gold in the men’s SKINS 50m butterfly race on the opening day of the fourth Nettakallappa Swimming Competition here on Saturday.

All eyes were on Srihari in the SKINS format (where top-8 swimmers tussle in a three-round final in a 25m pool) at the Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre. But it was 17-year-old Chinthan of Lakshyan Academy of Sports who stole the show to win gold with a timing of 25.16 seconds. Srihari, representing Dolphin Aquatics, clocked 25.49s to claim silver while Dharshan S, of Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre, timed 26.31s to pick up a bronze. 

SITTING (from left): Sujata Tilak Kumar - Director, Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre, Pradeep Kumar - Dronacharya Awardee and former National head coach, KN Tilak Kumar - Chairman, Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre, and Varun Nijhawan - Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre Head. STANDING: Two-time Olympian Srihari Nataraj along with India’s other top swimmers Manavi Varma, Nina Venkatesh, Vidith S Shankar, Darshan S and NAC’s lead coach Sharath Chandra, on the opening of the Nettakallappa Swimming Competition at the NAC in Bengaluru on Saturday. Credit: DH PHOTOS/ PUSHKAR V

In the corresponding women’s race, Rujuta Rajadnya of Deccan Aquatics (29.53s) finished first by outpacing Naisha Shetty of Swimlife (29.59s), who ended second, and Hashika Ramachandra of Bullblasty Aquatics (29.74s) who occupied the third spot on the podium. 

The other SKINS event - 50m backstroke - earlier in the day, had Srihari (25.48s) and his club-mate Nina Venkatesh (29.76s) grab gold medals in the men’s and women’s races respectively. 

Results: Men: Seniors: 100m Butterfly: Chinthan S Shetty (Lakshyan Academy of Sports, 57.72s) 1; Pratham Sharma (Dolphin Aquatics, 58.05s) 2; Lakshya Vashisht (Bullblasty Aquatics, 59.23s) 3. 

100m Medley: Srihari Nataraj (Dolphin Aquatics, 57.53s) 1; Vidith S Shankar (Dolphin Aquatics, 58.29s) 2; Surya Jhoyappa (BAC, 59.34s) 3. 

Group I: 100m Backstroke: Samarth Gowda BS (BAC, 1:01.13) 1; Aman Abhijit Sungar (Dolphin Aquatics, 1:01.62) 2; Kushal K (Matsya INC, 1:01.67) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Dharshan S (BAC, 56.97s) 1; Dhakshan S (BAC, 57.28s) 2; Harikarthik Velu (Golden Fins, 58.49s) 3. 

100m Medley: R Navaneeth Gowda (Dolphin Aquatics, 59.93s) 1; Surya JT (BAC, 1:00.69) 2; Akshaj Thakuria (Dolphin Aquatics, 1:01.46) 3. 

Group II: 100m Backstroke: Advaita Venkata Madhira (BAC, 1:02.64) 1; Vihaan Shashwat Chaturvedi (BAC, 1:04.77) 2; Garapati Bharadwaj (Golden Fins, 1:05.43) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Jeevamsh Subrahmanya (Matsya INC, 1:00.10) 1; Sharan S (BAC, 1:00.29) 2; Kabilan T (Matsya, 1:00.68) 3. 

Group III: 100m Backstroke: Rakshit A Kore (BAC, 1:12.82) 1; Lohitashwa S Nagesh (Lakshyan Academy of Sports, 1:12.96) 2; Mayank Lalith (BAC, 1:15.80) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Lohitashwa S Nagesh (Lakshyan Academy of Sports, 1:11.17) 1; Rakshit A Kore (BAC, 1:11.55) 2; Sujith Karthik (NAC, 1:15.04) 3. 

SKINS 50m Backstroke: Srihari Nataraj (Dolphin Aquatics, 25.48s) 1; Akash Mani (BAC, 25.83s) 2; Siva Sridhar (BAC, 29.04s) 3. 

SKINS 50m Butterfly: Chinthan S Shetty (Lakshyan Academy of Sports, 25.16s) 1; Srihari Nataraj (Dolphin Aquatics, 25.49s) 2; Dharshan S (BAC, 26.31s) 3. 

Women: Seniors: 100m Backstroke: Shruthi KR (GSC, 1:08.74) 1; Rujuta Rajadnya (Deccan Aquatics, 1:09.18) 2; Shrungi Rajesh Bandekar (Jain College, 1:09.24) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Naisha Shetty (Swimlife, 1:06.37) 1; Lakshya Shivananda (BAC, 1:07.39) 2; Shirin (BAC, 1:08.14) 3. 

100m Medley: Nina Venkatesh (Dolphin Aquatics, 1:08.56) 1; Shrungi Rajesh Bandekar (Jain College, 1:08.57) 2; Lakshya Shivananda (BAC, 1:08.69) 3. 

Group I: 100m Backstroke: Naisha (BAC, 1:07.85) 1; Priyanshi Misra (BAC, 1:09.63) 2; Vihitha Nayana (BAC, 1:09.73) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Tisya Sonar (BAC, 1:10.01) 1; Janya BS (BAC, 1:10.92) 2; Sonakshi Sathyanarayanan (BSA, 1:11.12) 3. 

100m Medley: Dhinidhi Desinghu 9Dolphin Aquatics, 1:04.92) 1; Vihitha Nayana (BAC, 1:06.90) 2; Manavi Varma (Dolphin Aquatics, 1:07.79) 3. 

Group II: 100m Backstroke: Trisha S Sindhu (Lakshyan Academy of Sports, 1:12.64) 1; Sumedha V (DKV Aquatic Centre, 1:13.01) 2; Avhni Bellappa (DKV Aquatic Centre, 1:14.55) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Trisha S Sindhu (Lakshyan Academy of Sports, 1:07.14) 1; Manya R Wadhwa (Dolphin Aquatics, 1:08.68) 2; Aadya Bharadwaj (Zee Swim Academy, 1:10.99) 3. 

Group III: 100m Backstroke: Shreya Suresh Pujar (BSA, 1:18.06) 1; Jharna Sisodiya (Ekalavya Sports Academy, 1:18.25) 2; Stuti Singh (BSA, 1:18.54) 3. 

100m Butterfly: Imaya Ah (DKV Aquatic Centre, 1:14.24) 1; Stuti Singh (BSA, 1:14.35) 2; Smrithi Mahesh (BAC, 1:18.43) 3. 

SKINS 50m Backstroke: Nina Venkatesh (Dolphin Aquatics, 29.76s) 1; Vihitha Nayana (BAC, 30.02s) 2; Naisha (BAC, 31.14s) 3. 

SKINS 50m Butterfly: Rujuta Rajadnya (Deccan Aquatics, 29.53s) 1; Naisha Shetty (Swimlife, 29.59s) 2; Hashika Ramachandra (Bullblasty Aquatics, 29.74s) 3.