Asian Games: Indian relay teams move to finals with national records

Hangzhou: The Indian men's 4x100m and women's 4x200m freestyle relay teams sailed into the finals with new national records at the Asian Games here on Thursday.

Srihari Nataraj, Tanish George Mathew and Vishal Grewal clocked 3:21.22s to finish fifth in the heats to qualify for the final of the 4x100m freestyle relay event.

They rewrote the previous 'Best Indian Time' of 3:23.72s set by Nataraj, Sajan Prakash, Virdhwal Khade and Anil Kumar Shylaja in 2019.

The quartet of Dhinidhi Desinghu, Shivangi Sarma, Vritti Agarwal and Hashika Ramachandra (8:39.64s) followed suit by notching up the 'Best Indian Time' in women's 4x200m freestyle relay.

The Indians finished eighth in the 10-team heat to move to the final.

The four women swimmers bettered the 8:40.89s mark set by by Hashika, Dhinidhi, Vihitha Nayana and Shirin at the nationals earlier this year.

In swimming, timing is considered a national meet record when it has been achieved at the National Aquatic Championships.

Hence, the timings clocked in other meets are called the 'Best Indian Time'.

Former medallist Khade was unable to progress to the final as did Shivangi Sarma.

Khade, who won the bronze in the 50m butterfly event in the 2010 edition, clocked 24.67s to finish 19th in the same event.

Sarma, on the other hand, finished 18th in the women's 50m freestyle event after she touched the pad at 26.92s.