A Historic Splash! Aryan Nehra Creates New Milestone, Secures CWG and Asian Games Berth

Indian swimming witnessed a landmark moment on Saturday as Aryan Nehra etched his name into the record books, becoming the first swimmer from the country to break the coveted eight minute barrier in the men's 800m freestyle event.

Competing at the National Aquatics Championships in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat swimmer produced a sensational performance, clocking 7:59.36 to win the gold medal and rewrite his own Best Indian Time. In the process, he also secured qualification for both the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Japan .

The achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian swimming. Nehra improved upon his previous Best Indian Time of 8:00.76 , set in 2019, shaving off more than two seconds to become the first Indian swimmer to complete the event in under eight minutes.

His latest feat adds to an already impressive championship campaign. Earlier in the week, Nehra had registered a Best Indian Time in the men's 1500m freestyle , while also meeting the qualification standard for the Commonwealth Games.

The National Aquatics Championships continued to witness a series of standout performances and record breaking efforts. Rujula S delivered another impressive swim in the women's 50m freestyle, improving her own Best Indian Time by finishing in 26.23 seconds , bettering the mark she had set last year.

Meanwhile, B. Benedicton Rohit enjoyed a remarkable day in the men's 50m butterfly. After surpassing his previous national record of 24.11 seconds during the heats, he went even faster in the final, claiming gold with a new national record of 23.63 seconds .

India's swimming contingent has also received a boost ahead of major international competitions. Olympian Sajan Prakash has qualified for the Commonwealth Games in the 200m butterfly , while Srihari Nataraj has secured qualification for both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in the 50m backstroke .

With records continuing to fall and qualification standards being achieved across events, the championships have highlighted the growing depth and competitiveness of Indian swimming. However, the spotlight firmly belonged to Aryan Nehra, whose historic sub eight minute swim has set a new benchmark for future generations and signalled India's rising ambitions in the pool.