Aryan Nehra booked his berth in the Indian Swimming squad for the Asian Games 2022 to be held in Hangzhou, China.
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Aryan Nehra booked his berth in the Indian Swimming squad for the Asian Games 2022 to be held in Hangzhou, China. He accomplished the feat in the men’s 800m and 1,500m freestyle events by swimming at the Tyr Pro Swim Series in Westmont, near Chicago, USA. With this, Aryan’s dream to represent India at the Asian Games will be finally happening. The 19-year-old also achieved the ‘B’ qualification standard for the 800m and 1,500m freestyle races for the World Championships 2023 scheduled for July in Fukuoka, Japan, through his impressive performance.
The TYR Pro Swim Series Westmont which took place from April 12 to April 15, 2023, featured Olympic medalists Bobby Finke, Regan Smith, and numerous other Olympians and elite swimmers. Aryan Nehra, who is currently training at the University of Florida in Gainesville, managed to set personal best (PB) times in all four events he competed in. On Sunday, he recorded a time of 15:29.92 in the 1,500m freestyle, beating his previous PB of 15:38 by over eight seconds. This achievement earned him the ‘B’ qualification for the World Championships. In addition, he secured his spot in the longest freestyle event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which will take place later in September.
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Previously, Aryan had obtained qualification for the 800m freestyle in both the major swimming events. He completed the 800m Freestyle race in 8:03.15, reducing his previous PB of 8:09.68 by 6.5 seconds. He also demonstrated remarkable performance in the 400m freestyle, setting a new PB of 3:56.17, the third fastest time ever by an Indian swimmer. Furthermore, his outstanding performance in the 400 Individual Medley caught everyone’s attention. Nehra achieved a time of 4:28.50, setting a new PB and becoming the second-fastest Indian swimmer in this event.
These accomplishments have positioned Aryan Nehra as the highest-ranked Indian swimmer in three events – 800m, 1500m freestyle, and 400 individual medley events according to World Aquatics rankings. In an interview with the Times of India (TOI), Nehra expressed his delight at achieving these milestones, stating, “I am extremely pleased with my swims in Chicago. I am particularly thrilled that I could set personal bests in all four of my races. Naturally, I am excited about the opportunity to represent India at the upcoming World Championships and the Asian Games later this year. It is always an immense honor to represent my country at the highest levels, and I am glad that it will soon become a reality.”
Aryan Nehra, the son of Gujarat cadre IAS officer Vijay Nehra, won four medals at the National Games 2022 and specializes in freestyle swimming events. In July 2021, he joined the renowned US college swimming team, the Florida Gators, at the University of Florida. Notable alumni of the Gators include American swimmers Caelab Dressel, who secured five medals at the 2022 Tokyo Olympics, and Kieran Smith, a bronze medalist in the 400 meters freestyle at the same event.
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