Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj continued his remarkable run of form at the World University Games in Berlin on Sunday, bettering the ‘Best Indian Time’ in the men’s 100m freestyle with an impressive 49.46 seconds to qualify for the semi-finals.

Nataraj, who is among India’s most consistent backstroke and freestyle swimmers, erased a long-standing mark set by Guangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist Virdhawal Khade, whose 49.47 seconds had stood since 2008.

The 23-year-old from Bengaluru, who represented India at the Tokyo Olympics, won heat six to book his place in the semis as the 12th fastest overall.

On Friday, he had twice improved his own ‘Best Indian Time’ in the 200m freestyle, underlining his steady progress this season.

A multiple-time national champion, Nataraj has been training under coach Nihar Ameen and is part of India’s push to strengthen its presence in global swimming competitions.

He has already achieved the B qualification mark for next year’s World Aquatics Championships and is eyeing a berth for Paris 2024.

In India, national records are officially recognised only if clocked at the National Aquatics Championships, while timings from other events like the World University Games are recorded as ‘Best Indian Time’ or ‘Best Indian Performance’.