Four medals for Gayakwad in Berlin swimming championship

Bangalore, April 28 :

Speedo athlete and ace Paralympic swimmer Sharath Gayakwad won one silver and three bronze medals at the recent IDM Berlin swimming championship to complete a successful campaign while qualifying for the Asia Para Games in seven events.

Adding to his bronze medals in the 200m Individual Medley (2:44.06 seconds) and the 100m Butterfly (1:09.67 seconds), was a silver medal that the young Bangalore boy won in the 100m breaststroke, with a timing of 1:19.97 seconds, missing his personal best time of 1:18.20 that he set at the London Paralympics in 2012, a press release here said.

In the other events at the competition, Sharath finished sixth in the 400m freestyle (5:42.20 seconds), 50m freestyle (0:30.53 seconds) and 100m backstroke (01:21.66 seconds) and seventh in 100m freestyle (1:11.06), meeting the qualification times for the Asian Para Games in the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, the 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, and 200m individual medley.

Gayakwad, who was also India’s sole representative at the International German Championships, was delighted to have qualified for the Asian Para Games in October, where he aims for gold beating his personal best times.

(IANS)