Nina Venkatesh rewrites three records in swimming at National Games 2023

The 37th National Games, taking place in the state of Goa, saw some record-breaking performances in the swimming event from rising star Nina Venkatesh.

As the nation's top swimmers took to the pool on Day 1 (October 29) and Day 2 (October 30), fans got to witness history being made as several national meet records tumbled.

Karnataka’s Nina Venkatesh shattered three records, including one in the women's 100m butterfly event. Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu, from the same state, finished with two records each to their name after the first two days of the competition.

Records broken on Day 1 (October 29)

The men's 200m freestyle was the first event to witness its record being rewritten. Olympian Srihari Nataraj of Karnataka clocked a time of 1:49.09. His exceptional performance helped him not only clinch the gold but also set a new national meet record (NMR).

Veteran Olympian Sajan Prakash, who also holds the national record in men’s 200m butterfly, set the fastest time in the men's 100m butterfly event. The swimmer from Kerala set a remarkable time of 53.79 and set a new national meet record (NMR).

In the women's 100m butterfly, Nina Venkatesh followed suit by not only securing the gold but also rewriting the national meet record for the event in the process. Nina clocked a very impressive time of 1:02.22.

The men's 4x100m freestyle relay saw Team Karnataka clinch the gold. The quartet consisting of Sambhavv R, Prithvi M, Aneesh S Gowda, and Srihari Nataraj set a new national meet record of 3:26.88.

The women's 4x100m freestyle relay saw Karnataka's swimmers break yet another record. They made the state proud with a phenomenal performance that saw them secure the gold with a record-breaking time of 3:59.53. The team comprised Hashika Ramachandra, Shalini R. Dixit, Nina Venkatesh, and Dhinidhi Desinghu.

While almost all the records were broken in the finals of the event, the heats saw Rohit Benedicton from Tamil Nadu put up an impressive show in the men's 100m butterfly event. He clocked 55.19 and set a new national meet record. Rohit ultimately secured bronze in the final. He also saw his newly achieved record time broken by Sajan Prakash in the final of the same event.

Records broken on Day 2 (October 30)

The second day of the meet saw another five records rewritten. The day started off with the men's 1500m freestyle event. Kushagra Rawat, representing Delhi, made a significant splash by shattering the national meet record with a time of 15:38.73. He won the gold in the process.

Another swimmer from Delhi, Bhavya Sachdeva, helped her state continue their winning start by securing gold in the women's 800m freestyle. Sachdeva clocked a time of 9:08.60, setting a new national meet record.

In the women's 200m breaststroke, Harshitha Jayaram of Kerala secured the gold with a time of 2:40.62. Her performance set a new national meet record for the event.

The 4x100m medley relays also saw their records rewritten. The men's 4x100m medley relay witnessed the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) team showcase their combined strength in four different strokes. The team consisting of Vinayak V, Likith Sp, Arjun M, and Anand As left their mark on the record books with a record-breaking time of 3:46.81.

The women's 4x100m medley relay saw yet another strong performance from Karnataka. The quartet of Ridhima Veerendra Kumar, Lineysha AK, Nina Venkatesh, and Dhinidhi Desinghu secured the gold with a time of 4:25.82 and set a new national meet record in the process.

This was the third national meet record set by Nina at the 37th National Games, and incidentally, the young swimmer happened to achieve the feat on her 18th birthday.

The swimming events are set to continue until November 4 at the Swimming Poll Campal, Panjim.