Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games 2022: Indian athletes who broke national records
There were a handful of Indian athletes who smashed national records at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.
Avinash Sable with his Commonwealth Games silver (Source: JSW)
India came home from Birmingham after amassing 61 medals at the Commonwealth Games 2022. From new sports getting their due recognition to double podiums in various events, the CWG 2022 was certainly a memorable one for the whole contingent.
Yet, for a specific few Indian athletes, the multi-sporting event might have a bit more special personally. There were many, irrespective of whether they medalled in their sport, were able to break and create new national records. Here are the ones who achieved this feat:
Athletics:
Avinash Sable
The Men's 3000m Steeplechase runner not only became the first Indian to win a medal in the event and end the Kenyan dominance, but also created a new personal best. His silver medal-winning run clocked 8:11:20. This time was enough to better the then-standing national record set by, guess who? Avinash himself!
The Indian finished 11th in the World Athletics Championships 2022 but created a PB and a NR with a timing of 8:12:48. This timing was bettered by him on 6th August during the Birmingham games.
Priyanka Goswami
On the same day as Sable broke his own PB and set a new national record, a certain Priyanka Goswami followed suit. Goswami, a 10000m race-walker, won the silver in CWG 2022 with a timing of 43:38:82. With this, the athlete created a new national record as well.
The former holder of the record was Khusbir Kaur whose timing was 44:33:50.
Swimming:
Srihari Nataraj
Another athlete who has a knack for bettering their own best's and setting new national records with almost every attempt is swimmer Srihari Nataraj.
Although he couldn't medal in any event, his notable performances spell promise for the future of Indian swimming. Moreover, he also set a ne NR in Men's 200m Backstroke. The erstwhile record, set by him, stood at 2:01:70, which was bettered by Nataraj's 2:00:84 timed swim in Birmingham.
Weightlifting:
Lovepreet Singh
With his bronze medal, weightlifter Lovepreet Singh also set a new National Record. Here too, he bettered his own weights set by him in the past. Singh created the record in Snatch, Clean & Jerk, as well as the total.
In the Men's 109 kg category, he snatched 163 kg (previously 162 kg), clean & jerked 192 kg (previously 186 kg), which totalled to a massive 355 kg (previously 350 kg).
Gurdeep Singh
Another weightlifter, Gurdeep Singh, won bronze in the Men's +109 kg category. He too created a new national record in Clean & Jerk with a lift of 223 kg. The old record, 221 kg, was set by Gurdeep himself in the past.
Bindyarani Devi
Another weightlifter in the fray was silver-medallist Bindyarani Devi. Devi smashed the Clean & Jerk record with a lift of 116 kg. Previous record, just like her compatriots, was set by Devi in the past with a lift of 114 kg.
Cycling:
Ronaldo Singh
The cyclist took part in the Men's 1000m Time trial event. However, for record purposes, the 500m split time is also counted. This is exactly what Singh broke. He bettered Esow Alben's 33.536 by a little bit with his record-breaking 33.497.
Meenakshi
Another cyclist, Meenakshi, bettered her own timing to create a new national record. Her previous time stood at 3:50.223 in the Women's 3000m Individual Pursuit. In the same event, she clocked the NR at 3:49.596 in the Birmingham games.
