Swimming
World University Games: Benedicton Rohit becomes first Indian man to go sub-24s in 50m Butterfly
He clocked 23.96s in the semifinal, bettering his own national record of 24.00s from the morning heats.
Benediction Rohit breaks 7-year-old National Record in 50m Butterfly (Photo credit: DT Next)
India’s B. Benedicton Rohit made history at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, becoming the first Indian man to swim the 50m butterfly in under 24 seconds.
He clocked 23.96s in the semifinal on Thursday evening, breaking his own national record of 24.00s set just hours earlier in the heats.
His morning performance had already surpassed Virdhawal Khade’s 7-year-old mark of 24.09s, earning him a first-place finish in his heat and the 12th-best time across all competitors.
Although Rohit finished 6th in his semifinal heat and did not advance to the final, the sub-24 breakthrough marked a major milestone in Indian swimming.
This achievement adds to Rohit’s breakout season. Last month, he struck gold in the 100m butterfly at the National Aquatics Championships in Bhubaneswar, clocking 52.57s and eclipsing long-standing records held by both Khade and Sajan Prakash.
Born with a fractured right thigh bone, Rohit took up swimming as therapy — a journey that has evolved into a record-breaking career. His performances this season have also earned him a ‘B’ qualification time for the upcoming World Championships in Singapore.
He was the only Indian swimmer to progress past the heats on the opening day of the Games, and his historic sub-24 swim is a landmark not just for him, but for Indian aquatics.
