LALITPUR: Shaila Rana set a new national record in the women’s 100m backstroke on her way to win five gold medals on final day of the 15th National Open and Age-Group Swimming Championships here at the Satdobato Swimming Complex today.

Rana had also claimed two gold medal on Tuesday and finished

the meet with a total of seven championship titles. She clocked 1:22.11

seconds to break the previous best of 1:22.20 set by Karishma Karki

during the fifth Pramod Smriti National Swimming Championships this

year. Karishma and Shreya picked up silver and bronze respectively in

the event. Rana also won the 200m Individual Medley final in 3:01.71 and clocked 1:12.25 to take 100m freestyle gold. She also added two more gold medals in the 50m backstroke (37.84) and 50m butterfly (35.60).

In the open category, Shailesh Rana added three more gold medals to take his gold tally to six along with a new national record set in the 50m backstroke on the first day. Shailesh won the men’s 100m butterfly in 1:10.47, 100m breaststroke in 1:13.68 and 100m freestyle

in 1:02.55. Prasiddha Jung Shah

also managed to sneak in with a

double gold medals today. Shah won the men’s 50m freestyle in 28.12 and 50m backstroke in 33.66.

In girls’ age-group category, Surangana Bomjan (15-17yrs) picked up the 100m breaststroke and 50m backstroke gold while Shreya Dhital (13-14yrs) triumphed in 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle. Shreya had won three gold medals on the first day.

Ekta Gurung (15-17yrs) won the 50m freestyle final while Manisha Joshi and Sheila Devi Gurung picked up U-12 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke respectively. In the boys’ age-group, Jayanta Prakash Gurung (13-14yrs) also claimed double gold medals, winning 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke final. Prakash Adhikari and Milan Thapa claimed 15-17years 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle gold respectively. Banin Sensha Shrestha and Hirak Ram Shrestha bagged 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly title in 15-17 yrs category.

In all, 320 swimmers participated in the championships, taken as the second stage of selection for the 11th South Asian Games slated for January 29 to February 9 in Dhaka next year.