Paris Olympics: Pakistani swimmers conclude disappointing run in 200m freestyle

Ahmed Durrani finished last overall, Jehanara Nabi came in third in her heat, 26th overall

At the Paris Olympics 2024 in France, Pakistan's swimmers Ahmed Durrani and Jehanara Nabi faced disappointment in their 200-metre freestyle events on Sunday.

In the men’s 200-metre freestyle, Ahmed Durrani finished last overall with a time of 1:58.67. Durrani, who holds the national record, was fourth in his heat with splits of 26.62, 29.21, 31.06, and 31.78. 

This performance fell short of his earlier national record-breaking swim of 1:55.68, achieved in April at the Malaysian Age Group Championships.

Meanwhile, Jehanara Nabi clocked in at 2:10.69, placing third in her heat and 26th overall. This result was over two seconds slower than her personal best and national record of 2:08.57, which she set in April at the Thailand Age Group Swimming Championships. 

Nabi’s splits for the race were 29.80, 32.49, 33.80, and 34.60. Despite finishing ahead of swimmers from Albania, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal, she could not advance to the semi-finals.

Durrani and Nabi are among the three wild card entries representing Pakistan, along with sprinter Faiqa Riaz. Wild card entries are granted to athletes from countries whose qualifications did not meet the standard entry requirements.

India’s wild card swimmers also competed on Sunday, with 14-year-old Dhinidhi Desinghu posting a time of 2:06.96, surpassing Nabi’s performance. 

Two-time Olympian Srihari Nataraj finished the 100-metre backstroke with a time of 55.01. Despite being national record holders, both Indian swimmers did not achieve personal best times in Paris.

As Durrani and Nabi concluded their Olympic journey, they will watch the evening’s semi-finals from the stands. 

Romania’s David Popovici, the world junior record holder, leads the men’s semi-finals with a top time of 1:45.65. Lithuania’s Danys Rapsis follows with 1:45.91, and Belgium’s Lucas Henveaux is third with 1:46.04.

In the women’s 200-metre freestyle, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan tops the semi-final rankings with a time of 1:55.79. 

Her teammate, Ariarne Titmus, advances as the third seed with 1:56.23, narrowly edged out by Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey, who recorded 1:56.21.

Ariarne Titmus recently claimed Australia’s first gold medal in Paris, defending her 400m freestyle title with a time of 3:57.49, ahead of Canada’s Summer McIntosh and USA’s Katie Ledecky.