Apeksha Fernandes leads gold hunt

Apeksha Fernandes stole the show by grabbing five gold medals in the GAF-GMAAA Junior and Sub-junior Aquatic meet cum selection meet at Tata Swimming Pool, Chembur.

Two of these gold medals were result of the record-breaking efforts from the 13-year-old girl from IIT Bombay — as five individual records were re-written (all by girls) on the second day of the meet.  

Apeksha triumphed in 200m butterfly stroke with a time of 02:29.61 seconds, thus bettering her own last year’s timing of 02:32.60 seconds and followed it by winning the 200m individual medley  in 02:32.53 seconds, while eclipsing Kenisha Gupta’s 2017 record of 02:33.67 seconds. She then added gold in the 50m breast stroke event as well  in the girls Group II category.

On Sunday, she added another gold in 200m Butterfly Stroke with record of 02:29.61 seconds, (Old record – 02:32.60 seconds and added another medal in 400m Individual medley event.

Palak Dhami, of Glenmark Aquatic Foundation won the 50m backstroke  in 00:32.45 seconds, eclipsing 2015 Tejaswita Bhardwaj’s timing of 00:37.17 secs.  

Palak ended with  four golds and a silver medals. Earlier, she had clinched 100m backstroke gold with a  timing of 01:10.74 secs, breaking Tejaswita’s 01:11.23 secs in 2015.