PTI, RAJKOT: Karnataka swimmer Hashika Ramachandra anchored her state’s 4x200m freestyle relay team to victory to climb the top of podium for the fourth time in the 36th National Games here on Wednesday.
But it was her stunning victory in the 200m butterfly final that set the Sardar Patel Aquatics Complex here alight.
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The 14-year-old Hashika dug deep into the reserves of her energy to slip past Astha Choudhury and touch the wall in 2 minutes 19.12 seconds for her third National Games record, including one as part of the relay team, in four days.
The win enabled her to complete an individual treble to overshadow Maharashtra diver Hrutika Shriram, a mother of a two-year-old, and seasoned Sajan Prakash’s efforts.
Sajan Prakash, braving an abdominal muscle pain, stamped his commanding presence by winning his favourite event, the men’s 200m butterfly with a National Games record. It was a praiseworthy effort by the experienced swimmer to claim his second gold medal of the National Games in addition to two silver medals.
Meanwhile, with 40 gold and 89 medals in all, Services continued to enjoy an unchallenged run at the top of the medal charts. Haryana were second with 25 gold, barely ahead of Maharashtra’s 24.
