Mondal swims to two more new marks

Hashika Ramachandra. (Source: Special Arrangement)

Bengal’s Swadesh Mondal created two more National records on the penultimate day of the sub-junior and junior National Aquatic Championships at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre on Friday.

In the Group I boys’ 400m medley race, Mondal fought off a stiff challenge from Shoan Ganguly to come home in 4:34.15s, just over half a second faster than Advait Page’s previous National best from 2018.

In the 200m breaststroke, he beat S. Danush’s record timing from 2017 to win the gold in 2:22.29s. The efforts took Mondal’s tally to four golds, all of which have come in National record timings.

Elsewhere, Karnataka’s Hashika Ramachandra continued her fine form, winning two more golds in Group II girls’ category to take her total to four.

She clinched the 100 butterfly race by rewriting Mayuri Lingaraj’s record from 2016 (1:05.98), touching the pad in 1:05.51s.

She won the 400m IM event in 5:27.86s.

The results: Boys: Group I: 50m freestyle: R. Sambhavv (Kar), 23.57; 100m backstroke: Utkarsh Santosh Patil (Kar), 58.93; 200m breaststroke: Swadesh Mondal (Ben) 2:22.29 (NMR; OR: 2:22.44, S. Danush (TN), 2017); 400m IM: Swadesh Mondal (Ben), 4:34.15 (NMR; OR: 4:34.76, Advait Page, 2018).

Group II: 50m freestyle: Sarungbam Athouba Meitei (Mnp) 25.99; 1500m freestyle: Pavan Dhananjaya (Kar), 17:12.05; 100m butterfly: Aditya Thapa (SSCB), 1:01.48; Group III: 100m backstroke: Yashaswi Nune (Tel), 1:15.37; 50m butterfly: Akshaj Thakuria (Kar), 30.56.

Group IV: 100m backstroke: Ishan Ghosh (Ben), 1:16.11; 50m butterfly: Sharan Sridhara (Kar), 32.86; Group V: 100m backstroke: Arjun Raghavan (Kar), 1:29.89; 50m butterfly: Ajeet Yadav (UP), 34.20.

Girls: Group I: 50m freestyle: Janhvi Choudhary (Ben), 27.48; 800m freestyle: Vritti Agarwal (Tel), 9:22.16; 100m backstroke: Nina Venkatesh (Kar), 1:06.68; 200m breaststroke: Saanvi S. Rao (Kar), 2:47.70.

Group II: 50m freestyle: Ridhima Veerendra Kumar (Kar), 27.88; 1500m freestyle: Shirin (Kar), 18:45.01; 100m butterfly: Hashika Ramachandra (Kar), 1:05.51 (NMR; OR: 1:05.98, Mayuri Lingraj (Kar), 2016); 400m IM: Hashika Ramachandra (Kar), 5:27.86.

Group III: 100m backstroke: Dhinidhi Desinghu (Kar), 1:11.23; 50m butterfly: Tanishi Gupta (Kar), 30.57; Group IV: 100m backstroke: Annika Deborah Paripoornam Ananth (Tel), 1:21.67; 50m butterfly: Alyssa Sweedal Rego (Kar), 34.16; Group V: 100m backstroke: Shreya Binil (Ker), 1:26.11; 50m butterfly: K. Lasya Sri (AP), 35.76.