Karnataka swimmers claim seven gold on first day

BENGALURU: Karnataka swimmers began their campaign in the Junior National aquatics championships with seven gold medals.
In Bhubaneswar on Saturday, the in-form Ridhima Veerendra Kumar claimed the 100m backstroke (group I) gold in a record time of 1:04.96. She eclipsed Maana Patel's mark of 1:05.00 recorded in 2015.
In the girls group II category, Hashika Ramachandra set a new mark in the 100m freestyle event.The teenager touched pad in 2:05.65 to better the 2:10.81mark set by Bhavya Sachdeva in 2019. Dhinidhi Desinghu claimed the silver with a time of 2:08.58.
Results: Winners (Karnataka only): Boys: Group I: 4x100m relay: 2. Karnataka 3:37.83; 100m backstroke: 1. Utkarsh Patil 57.78; Group II: 4x100m: 1. Karnataka: 3:48.38 (NMR; OR:3:49.32); 100m breaststroke: 1. Navaneeth Gowda 1:12.14; 100m backstroke: 2. Ishaan Mehra 1:01.71. Girls: Group I: 4x100m: 2. Karnataka 4:05.55; 100m breaststroke: 2. Saanvi Rao 1:16.81, 3. S Lakshya 1:17.58; 100m backstroke: 1. Ridhima Veerendra Kumar 1:04.96 (NMR; OR: 1:0500), 3. Nina Venkatesh 1:07.32; Group II: 4 x 100m freestyle: Karnataka 4:05.13 (NMR; OR: 4:09.54); 200m freestyle: 1. Hashika Ramachandra 2:05.65 (NMR; OR: 2:10.81), 2. Dhinidhi Desinghu 2:08.58; 100m breaststroke: 1. Manavi Varma 1:16.82, 3, Vihitha Parikh 1:17.67.