Virdhawal Khade temporarily stopped Sajan Prakash’s gold rush but the Kerala swimmer still hogged the limelight by winning his fifth gold medal in an absorbing day’s action in the swimming competitions of the 35th National Games at the Mihir Sen Plaza here on Thursday.
Virdhawal won his second gold of the meet in the 50m butterfly, beating a strong field which included Sajan. The Maharashtra swimmer won in a record time of 24.73s, improving his own mark set in 2011. Sajan finished outside the medal bracket for the first time at this meet.
Earlier, watched by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, golden boy Sajan came from behind to win his fifth gold of the meet with a new Games record of 8:15.49s in the men’s 800m freestyle.
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Sajan bettered A.P. Gagan's 2011 mark (8:27.22) by finishing ahead of arch-rival Saurabh Sangvekar, who also came under the existing record. A.S. Anand won the bronze.
The women’s 1500m was a lopsided affair with Aakansha Vora of Maharashtra dominating the event from the start. Aakansha clocked 17:42.44s to break Richa Mishra’s mark (18:14.79) set in 2011. The only consolation for Richa was that she also managed to better the existing record.
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There was no stopping Maana Patel in 100m backstroke event. The national record holder Maana broke Shikha Tandon’s 13-year-old record (1:07.08 set in 2002) in the heats in the morning, clocking 1:06.68s.
In the final, Maana was first to hit the water and by 25 metres had left the field behind. Maana improved her own record by clocking 1:05.32s and finished ahead of Jyotsna Pansare of Maharashtra (1:06.09). But 20 minutes later it was the turn of Jyotsna to hog the limelight as the Maharashtra girl pipped teammate Avanitka Chavan to take the gold in 50m butterfly stroke in a new Games record of 0:29.12. P.S. Madhu of Services led from start-to-finish to clinch the men’s 100m backstroke gold in a new Games record.
The results:
Diving: Men: 3m springboard: 1. K. Ramananda Sharma (SSCB, 400.40 points, NGR; OR: 331.70, M. Manish Kumar, SSCB, 2007), 2. M. Manesh Kumar (SSCB, 318.95), 3. Siddarth Pardeshi (Ker, 315.40).
Swimming: Men: 800m freestyle: 1. Sajan Prakash (Ker, 8:15.49, NGR; OR: 8:27.22, A.P. Gagan, Kar, 2011); 2. Saurabh Sangvekar (Mah, 8:22.50), 3. A.S. Anand (Ker, 8:27.27).
100m backstroke: 1. P.S. Madhu (SSCB, 0:57.62, NGR; OR: 0:58.76, P.S. Madhu, SSCB, 2015), 2. M. Aravind (Kar, 0:58.18), 3. Aaron D’Souza (MP, 0:58.46).
50m butterfly: 1. Virdhawal Khade (Mah, 0:24.73, NGR; OR - 0:25.16, Virdhawal Khade, Maharashtra, 2011), 2. Sarma S.P. Nair (Ker, 0:25.17), 3. Supriya Mondal (Ben, 0:25.17).
Women: 1500m freestyle: 1. Aakansha Vora (Mah, 17:42.44, NGR; OR: 18:14.79, Richa Mishra, Del, 2011), 2. Richa (MP, 17.56.26), 3. Monique Gandhi (Mah, 18:00.03).
100m backstroke: 1. Maana Patel (Guj, 1:05.32, NGR; OR: 1:06.68, Maana Patel, 2015), 2. Jyotsna Pansare (Mah, 1:06.09), 3. Vaania Kapoor Achuthan (Kar, 1:06.94).
50m butterfly: 1. Jyotsna Pansare (Mah, 0:29.12, NGR; OR: 0:29.65, Lekha Kamath, Mah, 2007), 2. Avantika Chavan (Mah, 0:29.14), 3. Sherlyn Meghna Devadason (TN, 0:29.61).