Overview
- Das finished fifth in the 100m backstroke heats with a time of 54.85 seconds and secured a lane in the final.
- The heats, reported on Sunday, showed Das was 0.63 seconds slower than Japan’s Hidekazu Takehara and 2.22 seconds slower than heat leader Xu Jiayu.
- Utkarsh Patil finished 12th in the same event with a time of 56.19 seconds and did not advance to the final.
- India also missed out in the 100m freestyle heats when Benediction Beniston finished 12th in 50.25 seconds and Akash Mani placed 23rd in 50.85 seconds.
- Xu Jiayu’s 52.63 seconds serves as the benchmark for medals, so Das will need a substantial drop in time in Monday’s final to move onto the podium.