Srihari Nataraj fails to reach 100m backstroke semis in World Championships despite season-best time

Fukuoka, Japan: Ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj came up with a season-best time but that was not enough for him to qualify for the semi-finals of the men’s 100m backstroke event at the World Championships in Fukuoka 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 semi-finals. The 22-year-old Nataraj, who had begun his season with a 55.60s effort to win the gold at the Singapore National Age Group in March, followed that up with a 55.29s swim at Mare Nostrum Swim Tour, Monaco in May. Nataraj’s personal best in the event is 53.77, which the Karnataka swimmer had 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.