Natraj creates national record twice but finishes 6th, Khade 8th

Srihari Natraj twice bettered his national record in the 200m backstroke but could finish only sixth in the final while Virdhawal Khade ended last in the 50m butterfly in the swimming competition of the Asian Games here today.

Natraj moved to the final by improving upon his own national mark with a timing of 2:02.97 and further cut it down to 2:02.83 in the final.

There may not be a medal for young Natraj, a class XII student, but he returns home with three national records.

Apart from 200m backstroke, he also set national records in 50m backstroke (26.19) and 100m backstroke (55.86), which is his pet event also.

"It is encouraging. I now know what I need to do, it was a good learning experience," Natraj, who trains at Ramakrishna Hegde Swimming Pool in Bengaluru, told PTI.

"In the heats, I was slow in the first 100m, here I was much faster in the first 100m. Earlier, I would focus on either speed or stamina but now I have to figure out how to get both. I need to get more serious and look into technical aspect," he said.

"But the most important thing that I have learnt it to forget 'what if'. There is no point in getting tense."
Asked if he will quit his job of Tehsildar to pursue swimming full time, Khade said, "If I had won a medal, I would have thought about it, but there are no funds."
Khade also had a disappointing result in 100m freestyle as he finished last in his heat and was placed 43rd overall with a timing of 59.11