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17-year old Indian swimmer Aryan Nehra has committed to join the varsity swim team at the University of Florida, his father confirmed on Twitter this week.
“Extremely delighted to share the news that Aryan Nehra has joined the Florida Gators and started training with the team at Florida, USA,” his father Vijay Nehra said. “Recruited as a student-athlete, he will train under legendary coach Anthony Nesty for the next four years and compete in NCAA.”
Vijay is a high ranking government official in India who until 2020 served as Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad.
Aryan Nehra is part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and has been training out of the FINA training center in Phuket, Thailand since 2016.
Primarily a distance freestyler, Nehra represented India at the 2019 World Junior Championships, where his highest finish was 31st place in the 800 free in 8:24.51. He missed his best time in all three events (200 free, 400 free, 800 free) that he swam at that meet and stalled out in prelims of each race.
More recently, two weeks ago at the Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet of Championships in Mission Viejo, California, he swam new best times in both the 400 free (3:58.34) and 800 free (8:12.51) swimming in time trials. He also posted a 15:58.19 in the 1500 free in a time trial.
He has, by-and-large, been a better long course swimmer than short course swimmer to this point in his career.
Best Times in Long Course Meters (LCM):
- 200 free – 1:57.52 (2019)
- 400 free – 3:58.34
- 800 free – 8:12.51
- 1500 free – 15:38.56
- 400 IM – 4:38.63 (2019)
Indian swimming has risen rapidly in quality over the last 2 years. In June, on back-to-back days, Sajan Prakash became the first swimmer from India to achieve an Olympic “A” standard and Srihari Nataraj became the second swimmer from India to do so.
He joins what is the most accomplished collegiate distance men’s freestyle group in the country in the last few years. Kieran Smith placed 2nd in the 500 free and Bobby Finke placed 6th in the 500 free at the 2021 NCAA Championships, while Finke won the men’s 1650 free in 14:12.52.
While neither swim came at the 2021 NCAA Championships, Smith is the fastest 500 yard freestyler in history and Finke is the fastest 1650 yard freestyler in history.
Both swimmers qualified to represent the US at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
2021 will be Anthony Nesty’s first season leading both the men’s and women’s teams at the University of Florida. The men’s team will welcome in a large class that includes Oskar Lindholm, Mason Laur, Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero, David Fitch, Macguire McDuff, Peter Bretzmann, Ben Cote, Chance Tirheimer, and Julian Smith.
Of that group, Lindholm (Denmark), Pinero (UAE), and Nehra (India) are internationals.
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There’s a JV team?!
Does he play Tuber Simulator tho?
Facts, if not get him of the team
Indian Swimming📈📈📈