How swimmer Aryan Nehra broke the 8-minute barrier in the 800 metres
For over three years from 2023, Indian elite swimmers Aryan Nehra and Advait Page had been stalled at the 8-minute mark over the 800m in the pool. “Every 800 I swam, I’d look at the board hoping to see a 7-point time,” Nehra recalls. Finally, a 7:59.36 flashed on the screen at the Senior Nationals in Ahmedabad on Saturday, and the Gujarat swimmer was glad he had dipped under 8 at his home pool. “It was special to be able to do it here in Ahmedabad in front of all my people. Most of the Indian swim community was there, so it meant a lot,” he says. Nehra is happier about his 15:14.88 over the 1,500m, another national record, where his splits at the opening laps were relatively faster. “I can always want more than 7:59 at 800, but I won’t be too picky. I was super happy to see a 7,” he said. Chasing down a personal best for 3 years and being able to push himself – swim fast by himself given the …
