Swimming
World University Games: Srihari Nataraj clocks 'Best Indian Time' in 200m Freestyle
Nataraj clocked 1:48.11s, bettering his own national best of 1:48.22s which he had set earlier during the heats on Friday morning.
Swimmer Srihari Nataraj clocked the best Indian time at the World University Games 2025. (File Photo)
Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj continued his record-breaking form at the 2025 FISU World University Games by clocking another ‘Best Indian Time’ in the men’s 200m freestyle.
In the second semifinal heat, Nataraj clocked 1:48.11s, bettering his own national best of 1:48.22s which he had set earlier during the heats on Friday morning.
Despite the personal milestone, the Paris Olympian narrowly missed out on a place in the final, finishing ninth overall, just outside the top-eight qualification bracket.
Earlier in the day, Nataraj had topped Heat 5 with a time of 1:48.22s, shaving off crucial milliseconds from his previous best of 1:48.66s. His performance was the fifth-best in the preliminary rounds, securing a strong berth in the semifinals and underscoring his consistency across rounds.
On the other hand, Aneesh Gowda had a forgettable outing in the same event as he finished in 33rd position with a time of 1:52.42s.
Srihari was the second Indian swimmer to reach the semifinals here at these Games after Benediction Rohit, who also set two new 'Best Indian Time' in 50m butterfly to finish 13th overall.
On Friday, India has one more medal event in taekwondo, where the Indian women's Poomsae team will compete in the final round after defeating Ecuador in the preliminary round.
Meanwhile, group stage matches in Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, and Badminton team events will proceed.
