2019 ASIAN AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, September 24th – Friday, September 27th
- Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence, Bangalore, India
- LCM
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
- Results
With just 1 day of the swimming competition at the Asian Age Group Championships remaining, the nation of Japan remains uncatchable at the top of the medal table.
Having collected 37 gold medals over the course of the pool swimming portion, Japan carries well over double the amount as runner-up Thailand, who has captured 16 gold medals thus far. Hong Kong is sitting in 3rd place at the moment, but India is hot on its trail, behind by only 3 medals in all.
Day 3 Highlights
India’s Kushagra Rawat collected his 4th gold medal of these championships, taking the men’s 400m free in a time of 3:55.81. Rawat had already won the 200m and 800m freestyle races on night 1 and followed those victories up with a gold in the 1500m free last night.
His teammate Sajan Prakash did damage in the men’s 200m fly race, hitting the wall in a mark of 2:00.38 for the win, while Srihari Nataraj laid waste to the men’s 100m back field, putting up a time of 55.06.
Nataraj registered a new Indian National Record of 54.69 in the semi-finals of the men’s 200m back event at this summer’s World Junior Championships in Budapest. Although he was off that mark tonight, his 55.06 overtook the previous meet record of 55.89 that’s been on the books for 4 years.
Thailand’s Natthanan Junkrajang was a multiple event winner on the evening, first taking the women’s 400m free in a time of 4:23.45. She doubled up on that effort with a 100m free mark of 57.23, representing just 1 of 2 finalists in that event that dipped under the 58-second threshold. Joining her was runner-up Tram Nguyen Diep Phuong of Vietnam, who claimed silver in 57.87.
Hong Kong’s Cheuk Ming Ho beat the meet record in the men’s aged 15-17 200m freestyle final. Splitting 54.55/55.78, Ho clocked a winning effort of 1:50.33, clearing the previous meet record of 1:51.22 held by his countryman Ng Chun Nam Derick since 2011.
China’s Zhou Chanzhen put up a powerful performance in the women’s aged 15-17 1500m freestyle, winning the competition by over 21 seconds. Producing a winning mark of 16:56.09, Zhou ripped the old meet record of 17:10.94 to shreds, one that had been on the books since 2009.
Uzbekistan got on the board with a gold in the men’s 100m free event, courtesy of winner Tursunov Khurshidjon. The man touched in 50.56 to hold off India’s Virdhawal Khade, the 50m free winner from last night. Khade touched in 50.68 for silver, while Nataraj earned another piece of hardware with bronze in 50.91 on day 3.
Minor correction: 54.69 Nataraj PB was swum in the semifinals of the men’s 100 back at World Junior Champs in Budapest.