Odisha: With 12 wins in 3 weeks, swimmer Pratyasa Ray in a medal pool
BHUBANESWAR: Twelve national medals in just 20 days. That's what ace swimmer Pratyasa Ray has notched up.
Pratyasa won six medals including four gold, one silver and a bronze in the Khelo India University Games at Guwahati on Thursday. She bagged gold in the 100 m backstroke (1:08.12), 50 m backstroke (31.09), 200 m backstroke (2:30.95) and 400 m freestyle (4:48.22).
She also won silver and bronze in 200 m freestyle and 4X100 m medley clocking 2:15.15 and 5:28.80 respectively. What's satisfying for her was she claimed the medals in 50 m backstroke, 400 freestyle and 4X100 m medley by notching up her personal best timings.
"I am glad to have won medals in all the events I participated this month in two different university games. The best part is I could better my personal best in three different events. The performance will help me perform even better in the upcoming Senior National Swimming Championships and National Games," she said.
Pratyasa practised for at least 50 hours a week and reaped the reward of hard work by winning the unprecedented string of medals for the state.
She bagged a double gold in 100 m backstroke (1:07:58) and 200 m backstroke (2:31:9), three silvers in the 50 m backstroke (31:78), 200 m freestyle (2:14:69), 400 m freestyle (4:50:30) and 400 m individual medley (5:33:26) in the National University Games Aquatics Inter-zonal at Chennai from February 2 to 4.