Srihari Nataraj clocks fastest-ever national time in 100m freestyle at World University Games

Srihari Nataraj (Pic: AFP)

Ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj continued his sensational form at the World University Games, rewriting the record books once again. On Sunday, the 24-year-old clocked an impressive 49.46 seconds in the men's 100m freestyle, setting a new ‘Best Indian Time' and advancing to the semifinals with the 12th-fastest time overall.

In doing so, Nataraj eclipsed the long-standing mark of 49.47 seconds held by Virdhawal Khade since 2008. Khade had achieved the milestone during the Beijing Olympic cycle and won bronze in the same year at the Guangzhou Asian Games. Nataraj's performance in heat 6 not only secured him a place in the semifinals but also brought an end to a 15-year-old benchmark, reinforcing his position as India's premier freestyle swimmer.

This remarkable feat comes on the heels of his double success on Friday in the 200m freestyle, where he twice improved his own 'Best Indian Time'. In the heats, Nataraj clocked 1:48.22, bettering his previous best of 1:48.66 set just weeks ago at the Singapore National Swimming Championships. He topped his heat and qualified fifth overall for the semifinals.

It is important to distinguish between official national records and ‘Best Indian Time' performances. In Indian swimming, national records are only recognised if achieved at the National Aquatics Championships. Timings set at international or non-national meets, though equally competitive, are recorded as the ‘Best Indian Time' or ‘Best Indian Performance'.

Nataraj's consistently improving times across both the 100m and 200m freestyle events underline his growing dominance in Indian swimming. Hailing from Bengaluru, the backstroke specialist has been expanding his repertoire with notable results in freestyle events at the global level.

While Nataraj continues to shine, it was a mixed day for the Indian contingent on Friday. Fellow swimmer Aneesh Gowda, also competing in the 200m freestyle heats, failed to progress further after finishing fifth in his heat with a timing of 1:52.42.

Nataraj's performances so far in Chengdu reflect a swimmer in peak form, and he will look to carry this momentum into the semifinals. As one of India's top swimming prospects, his recent string of performances is a testament to his training, resilience, and hunger to constantly improve.