Srihari fails to qualify for 100m backstroke semifinals at World Championships

Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj came up with a season-best time but failed to qualify for the semifinals of the men’s 100m backstroke event at the World Championships on Monday.

The Asian Games-bound swimmer clocked 55.26s to finish last in his heat and 31st overall.

The top 18 swimmers across seven heats advanced to the semifinals.

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The 22-year-old Nataraj had begun his season with a 55.60s effort to win the gold at the Singapore National Age Group in March. He followed that up with a 55.29s swim at the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Monaco in May. 

Nataraj’s personal best in the event is 53.77, which the Karnataka swimmer clocked in 2021 to breach the Tokyo Olympics ‘A’ cut. 

He will compete in the 50m as well as the 200m backstroke events at the ongoing Worlds. 

Two-time Olympian Sajan Prakash and Delhi swimmer Kushagra Rawat also failed to impress in their events. 

Prakash finished 57th among 91 swimmers in the 50m butterfly with a timing of 24.93s. He will be in action in his pet event, the 200m butterfly, on Tuesday. 

On the other hand, Rawat, who is competing in only the 400m freestyle event, clocked 3:59.03 to finish 35th. 

Rawat’s performance at the World event was a far cry from his 3:55.45 effort during the final of the senior nationals earlier this month.