WUG: Srihari Nataraj Shatters 16-Year-Old Record! Clocks 'Best Indian Time'
Srihari Nataraj set a new Best Indian Time in the men's 100m freestyle at the World University Games, clocking 49.46 seconds, breaking Virdhawal Khade's 2008 record.
Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj continued his impressive run of form on Sunday, setting a new Best Indian Time in the men's 100m freestyle at the World University Games. Nataraj clocked 49.46 seconds, breaking a 16-year-old national benchmark and securing a spot in the event's semifinals.
With his blistering swim, Nataraj erased the previous Best Indian Time of 49.47 seconds set by Virdhawal Khade during the 2008 Guangzhou Asian Games, where Khade went on to win a bronze medal. Nataraj's new mark now stands as the fastest 100m freestyle time ever recorded by an Indian swimmer outside of the National Aquatics Championships.
Competing in heat 6, Nataraj clinched victory and qualified for the semifinals with the 12th fastest time overall—a strong performance in a highly competitive international field.
Double Record Earlier in the Week
This latest feat comes just two days after Nataraj twice improved upon his own Best Indian Time in the 200m freestyle, underlining his consistency and dominance across multiple events at the meet.
In Indian swimming, only times recorded at the National Aquatics Championships are recognized as official national records. Performances achieved at international or other domestic meets, like the World University Games, are classified as Best Indian Time or Best Indian Performance—a distinction that doesn't diminish the significance of Nataraj's latest achievement.
(with inputs from PTI)
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