As many as three national records were rewritten from among the six events held on Day Three of the 63rd Senior National Aquatic Championship at the LNCPE swimming pool in Thiruvananthapuram.
In one of the most exciting races on Wednesday, 17-year-old Aaron D’Souza of Karnataka powered to a record-breaking performance in the 100m freestyle. Wearing a Speedo LZR suit, D’Souza touched ahead of statemate Ashwin Menon (0:53:58) and K Mani (0:54:63) of RSPB to win the race with a timing of 0:51: 43 seconds slicing his own mark of 0:51:93.
The Speedo suit that reduces the water’s drag against swimmers by up to 10 percent, and increases oxygen efficiency was worn by top swimmers at the senior nationals this year. 11 out of the 12 records created in the meet so far, has seen swimmers use the controversial suits.
Olympian Rehan Poncha who believes the suits don’t make much of a difference in his performance wore a Blue Seventy suit enroute to his scintillating win in 400m Individual Medley. Taking a massive four body length lead from the word Go, Poncha who is eyeing his third successive title in the championship sliced swiftly through the waters to better his own national mark by clocking 4minutes 30:13 sec.
Meanwhile, Arhata Magavi, the 15-year-old prodigy from Basavangudi Aquatic Centre in Bangalore emerged the winner of 100m butterfly which was yet another close race of the day. She too wearing a controversial Jaked suit which is banned from January 1 next year bettered seasoned campaigner Richa Mishra’s six-year-old record of 1:04:81. Magavi timed 1:03:24 to clinch the gold.
In the 800m freestyle for women, Kanchi Desai of Maharastra, the youngest swimmer at the championship this year walked away with the gold. The 12-year-old clocked 09:41:21 to win the race.
Results: 800m freestyle women: 1. Kanchi Desai (Maha) 09:41:21; 2. Sushaka Pratap (Kar) 09:47:99; 3. Aditi Dhumatkar (Maha) 09:50:12; 400m IM men: Rehan Poncha (Kar) 04:30:3; 2. Merwyn Chen (RSPB) 04:49:58; 3. Mandar Divase (Police) 04:51:52; 100m butterfly women: Arhata Magavi (Kar) 01:03:24; 2. Richa Mishra (Police) 01:04:52; 3. Vandita Dhariyal (Guujarat) 01:05:13; 100m freestyle men: 1. Aaron D’Souza (Kar) 00:51:43; 2. Ashwin Menon (Kar) 00:53:58; K Mani (RSPB) 00:54:63; 4x200m freestyle relay (men): 1. Karnataka 08:13:94; 2. Police 08:19:52; 3. RSPB 08:27:15; 4x200m freestle relay (women): Karnataka 09:09:68; Maharastra 09:30:81; TN 09:41:97.
