India’s pro swimmer Virdhawal Khade has just bettered his long-standing national record and got one step closer to his second Asian Games medal as he has just qualified for the men’s 50m freestyle swimming final after being able to clock 22.43 seconds earlier today.
Khade, the bronze winner at the 2010’s Guangzhou Games, had to compete against one of Japan’s best swimmers, Shunichi Nakao who clocked 22.62 seconds.
He has now bettered his own 50m freestyle record of 22:52 that he set back in August 2009 at the Asian Age group swimming championships held in Japan.
“I am keeping fingers crossed but I think medal is within each. I have prepared well in the last one and a half years. It’s a sprint, so you never know what happens in final but I will give myself a chance. It’s possible,” Khade, 26, said soon after finishing the performance.
“The top two may be fitter than me but mentally I am stronger than them. I have experience and I will try to use it in the final.”
Feeling accomplished
Khade admitted that he was very proud and pleased with his performance and new personal record which was set after a long break he had taken from the sport of swimming due to some other commitments.
“After 10 years, I am competing at such a big event. I was also at the CWG also but there, I could not perform to my potential. I had timed 23.11 there, so it is half a second fast. Hopefully, I will be able to cut down more and get a medal.”
