Teen swimming sensation Gaurika Singh continued to break national records as Anubhav Subba struck four gold medals on the opening day of the 20th National Swimming Championships at the International Swimming Complex on Thursday. 

The 2016 Rio Olympian Singh, who came to Kathmandu from London for the tournament and represented Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC), set new national records in women’s 200m freestyle and 50m butterfly. On a day when Duana Lama of Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club also set new women’s 200m breaststroke national record, TAC swimmer Subba struck gold in men’s 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke.

Singh set a new record of 2:11.94 minutes in 200m freestyle final breaking the previous mark of 2:12:32 set by Sofia Shah during the 12th South Asian Games in India last year. Lama and Upasthiti Maharjan of APF took silver and bronze respectively. Lama clocked 2:33.18 and Maharjan timed 2:49:31. She once again broke Shah’s 50m butterfly record clocking 29.40 seconds in the heats. She won the final in 29.78 seconds.

Shah had set a record of 32.06 seconds during the 2015 seventh National Games in Kathmandu. Lama (37.53) was once again pushed to second in the event, while Tenzing Dolma Sherpa (37.82) of APF ended up third. Lama finally had some solace after she won the 200m backstroke with a record timing of 3:08.32 minutes. She, however, had set a new national record of 3:07.22 in the heats to break Bibidha Rimal’s record of 3:12.85 the latter had set during the 2006 10th Saf Games in Sri Lanka.

Lama’s teammate Maharjan won silver in 200m backstroke clocking 3:19.50 and Adipsha Vaidya (3:24.82) of Central Region took bronze. 

Subba, fresh from his participation in the Fina World Swimming Championships in Hungary, opened the day with 200m freestyle gold in 2:15.78 minutes. He got the better of Devesh Manandhar (2:18.65) of APF and Sayed Hamja Shah (2:22.78) of Central. Subba then won the 200m butterfly in 2:42.85 and left behind Jenish Maharjan (2:58.81) of APF and Bishma Bahadur Badhuwal (3:13.39) of TAC.

In the 50m butterfly, Subba narrowly missed Sirish Gurung’s national record of 28.26 seconds clocking 29.13. APF’s Manandhar (30.00) and Ugyen Sherpa (30.31) of Central were behind him. Subba wrapped up the day with men’s 50m backstroke win in 34.03 edging Nitesh Manandhar (34.90) of APF and Dilip Thapa Magar (35.71) of TAC.

Subba missed out on his fifth gold after his team lost to APF in the 4x100m freestyle relay. APF timed 4:15.93, while TAC notched up 4:24.90. APF also won the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay in 5:14.50 ahead of Central (5:18.18).

Rupesh Chaudhary (2:49.13) of TAC beat APF’s Manandhar (2:52.56) in the men’s 200m backstroke, while Shuvam Shrestha (2:36.75) of APF sidelined Kiran Karki (2:42.13) of Central. Sameer Shova Thapa (41.06) of Western Region won the women’s 50m backstroke.