Sport - Swimming   

Shikha rewrites National mark

By Khalyan N. Ashok

KOLKATA Sept. 18. The spotlight on the second day of the 57th senior National aquatic championship was on the Karnataka swimmers, who true to their tradition came up with scintillating display to garner three golds. Shikha Tandon and Karnataka women's relay quartet shattered the National and meet marks in the process at Subhas Sarobar pool here today.

At 18, Shikha Tandon is the best Indian swimmer in the freestyle and she re-asserted her class, with an explosive performance by becoming the first Indian girl to go under 27 seconds. She clocked 26.61 seconds in the 50 m sprint, which lowered her own best Indian performance of 27.04 seconds she recorded at the Asian age group championship at Macau in August.

She thus even bettered the Olympic qualifying cut of 26.92 seconds. But this being a National championship there is a remote chance of her getting a ratification from FINA for the Olympic qualification.

SFI Secretary General Virendra Nanavati said that the federation would make a representation to the world body on that score. In any case Shikha has few more international meets on hand and she said she could do it all over again in any FINA sanctioned meet.

Shikha, incidentally has assured herself of a berth in the Olympics, when she clocked 58.32 seconds in the first leg of the Indian's 4 x 100 m freestyle relay in the World championship at Barcelona in July, which was faster than 100m freestyle Olympics qualifying cut of 58.36 seconds.

Earlier in the morning heats, Shikha lowered the meet mark of 28.01 seconds set by Nisha Millet in 1997, by clocking 27.57 seconds.

"I was fully confident of going under 27 seconds today and I am in good form and I am very much pleased, '' said the elated Bangalore collegian.

Reshma Millet of Karnataka and Rishu Mehra of Police took the second and third sports respectively in the event.

Karnataka's quartet of Ambica N.S. Iyenagar, Reshma Millet, V. Sivranjani and Nisha Millet, set the pool ablaze setting a National mark of 9 :01.27 in the 4 x 200 m freestyle relay for women which eclipsed the National best effort of the Indian relay team of Shikha Tandon, Ambica Iyenagar, V. Sivaranjani and Richa Misra in the World championship at Barcelona which stood at 9: 02.37. The meet mark of 9: 06.29, which again was held by Karnataka, also took a beating in the process.

The third gold for Karnataka came in the 400 m individual medley for men, when the dark horse, S. Srinand, who was trailing fourth in the butterfly and second in the back and breast stroke segments, came like a flash in the freestyle stanza to capture the gold beating the leader of the pack Arjun Muralidharan of Police. Srinand clocked 4: 51.30.

The results: swimming: men: 50 m freestyle: 1. T.A. Sujith (SSCB 24.23), 2. V. Arun (TN 24.56), 3. Saiju Joseph (SSCB 24.61).

50 m breast stroke: 1. Deepak Kumar Singh (Pol 30.43), 2. Gairik Bardhan (Ben 31.11), 3. Puneet Rana (Pnb 31.49).

400 m individual medley: 1. S. Srinanand (Kar 4:51.30), 2. Arjun Muralidharan (4:52.00), 3. Nilendu Jena (SSCB 4:56.90).

4 x 200 m freestyle relay: 1. Police (8:13.38 NMR, Old 8:15.60), 2. SSCB (8:15.82), 3. RSPB (8:25.35).

Women: 50 m freestyle: 1. Shikha Tandon (Kar 26.61. NR and NMR. Old NR: 27.04 and NMR: 27.57), 2. Reshma Millet (Kar 28.07), 3. Rishu Mehra (Pol.28.90).

400 m individual medley: 1. Richa Misra (Pol 5:08.57 NMR. Old: #5:15.28), 2. Ambica N.S. Iyengar (Kar 5:20.79), 3. Bhawana Sharma (Pol 5Z:28.07).

4 x 200m freestyle relay: 1. Karnataka (9:01.27 NR and NMR, Old: NR: 9:02.37 and NMR: 9:06.29), 2. Police (9:32.98), 3. Kerala (9:48.06).

Diving: Men: High board: 1. Sachin Tripathi (Rly 438.95), 2. Bhausaheb Dighe (Rly 391.50), 3. Basudeb Giri (Ben 385.30).

Women: Momoni Mondal (Rly337.30), 2. Suparna Paul (Rly 326.15), 3. Sandana Adhikari (Pol 302.30).

Waterpolo: Men: Bengal bt Karnataka 18-0; Police bt Kerala 12-4; Services bt Punjab 17-1; Railways bt Delhi 11-1; Women: Maharashtra bt Karnataka 4-0; Bengal bt Manipur 15-4.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Entertainment | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

Cricket

• Masterly knock by Tendulkar
• 16-team format for World Cup?
• Tendulkar joins 17,000-club
• I am recovering well: Nehra
• Govt. has to decide India-Pak. series: Dalmiya
• Vishwanath to be inducted into Hall of Fame
• BCCI pads up to fight AIDS
  
  Tennis
  
• In a hero's shadow, Prakash and Bopanna have a lot to prove
  
  Football
  
• Iran too hot for Bangladesh
  
  Asian Games
  
• Pakistan to host SAF Games
  
  Chess
  
• Pilloo Mody international rating tourney from today
  
  Swimming
  
• Shikha rewrites National mark
  
  

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu