South Zone Aquatic Championship: Shivani clinches gold with meet record

Shivani won gold medals in the 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 50m backstroke events

Hyderabad: Telangana State swimmer Shivani Karra continued her dream run by swelling her medal tally to seven and clinched the individual championship trophy in her category (Group 3) at the ongoing 34th South Zone Aquatic Championship, being held at the BSA Swimming Pool, Bengaluru, on Friday.

Shivani, who clinched two gold medals on Thursday, created record timing of 05.06.19 seconds eclipsing the previous best of 05.06.79 seconds by K Lasya Shri of Andhra Pradesh, in the 400 metres freestyle event.

Shivani won gold medals in the 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 50m backstroke events. She then clinched silver medal in the 100m backstroke, 4x50m medley relay and 4x50m freestyle relay events.

Shivani will next represent her school and Telangana State at the upcoming School Games Federation of India and Nationals which are to be held in Delhi from January 2, 2024 to January 8, 20204.

Meanwhile, another Telangana swimmer Sri Nithya Sagi baged two gold medals. She took the yellow medal in the 800m freestyle Group II event with a timing of 10.18.51 seconds ahead of Karnataka’s Tanisha Vinay and Hitashree, who finished second and third respectively. She then clinched top honours in the 200m backstroke Group II category.

In the boys 50m breaststroke Group II event, Telangana lad GOutham Shashi Vardhan Baggu Naidu clinched top honours. Another State swimmer Jordan Dominic Franklin added a silver medal in the boys 50m breaststroke Group I event while Abhay Lakkoju bagged a bronze in the boys 50m butterfly event in Group II.

Results: Girls 400m Freestyle Group III: 1. Shivani Karra (TS) 5:06.19 (NMR), 2. K Lasya Sri (A) 5:12.89, 3. Sumanvi V (Kar) (5:13.12);

Girls 800m Freestyle GROUP II: 1. 1. Sri Nithya Sagi (TS) (10:18.51s), 2. Tanisha Vinay (Kar), 3. Hitashree (Kar);

Girls 200m Backstroke Group II: 1. Sri Nithya Sagi (TS) (2:31.62s), 2. MN Tanya (Kar), 3. Avanthika Pradeep (Ker);

Boys 50m Butterfly Group II:

1. Anish Aniruddha Kore Kore (Kar) (27.80) (NMR), 2. Daksh Matta (Kar), 3. Abhay Lakkoju (TS)

Boys, 50m Breaststroke Group I:

1. OR Surya Jhoyappa (Kar) (31.81); 2. Jordan Dominic Franklin (TS), 3. Vishagan Saravanan (Kar);

Boys 50m Breaststroke Group II:

1. Goutham Shashi Vardhan Baggu Naidu (TS) (33.46), 2. Daksh Matta (Kar), 3. Saptashwa Banerjee (Kar).