Rishabh Das set a new Indian national record in the men’s 200m backstroke on 25 September 2026 at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The 19-year-old swimmer recorded 1:58.77 in the final and finished sixth. He improved his own previous national record of 1:59.84, which he had set earlier in 2026.
200m Backstroke in Competitive Swimming
The 200m backstroke is a long-course swimming event held in a 50-metre pool. The race covers four lengths of the pool and uses the backstroke technique, in which swimmers start in the water and remain on their back for the duration of the event. The event is part of major international competitions, including the Olympic Games, the Asian Games, and the World Aquatics Championships.
Rishabh Das’s Record Progression in 2025-26
Rishabh Das first broke the Indian national record in June 2025 at the 78th Senior National Aquatic Championships in Bhubaneshwar, where he clocked 2:00.65 and won a bronze medal. In March 2026, he improved the mark to 2:00.14 at the NSW State Open Championships in Sydney. In May 2026, he became the first Indian swimmer to complete the long-course 200m backstroke in under two minutes at the Sydney Open Meet, with a time of 1:59.84.
Asian Games Swimming Events
Swimming has been part of the Asian Games programme since the inaugural edition in 1951. The competition includes pool events such as freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, medley, and relay races. The men’s 200m backstroke is one of the standard individual stroke events in international aquatics.
Important Facts for Exams
- The 200m backstroke is swum over four lengths of a 50-metre pool.
- Rishabh Das clocked 1:58.77 at the Asian Games 2026 final.
- He broke the national record held earlier by Olympian Srihari Nataraj in 2025.
- He became the first Indian swimmer to go below two minutes in the long-course 200m backstroke in May 2026.
