Just One Second Away! Srihari Nataraj's 100m Backstroke Commonwealth Games Dream Ends in Semis

India's hopes of making an impact in the men's 100m backstroke at the Commonwealth Games suffered a setback after Srihari Nataraj failed to qualify for the final, finishing 12th overall in the semifinals in Glasgow.

The Indian swimmer clocked 55.52 seconds, placing outside the coveted top eight needed to secure a place in the medal race. The final qualifying position went to Australia's Isaac Cooper, who recorded 54.58 seconds, leaving Srihari more than a second behind the cut-off.

Having entered the event as one of India's strongest swimming prospects, Srihari was unable to produce the pace required against a highly competitive field, bringing his campaign in the event to an early end.

India also endured disappointment in the men's 50m freestyle S13 para-swimming event, where both Ravi Veera Venkata Bhavan Budigina and Ali Imam finished outside the medal positions.

Budigina, who had qualified sixth for the final, maintained the same ranking after clocking 25.68 seconds. Ali Imam also held on to his qualifying position, finishing eighth with a timing of 28.28 seconds.

Scotland's Stephen Clegg delighted the home crowd by winning the gold medal in 24.73 seconds. Nathan Hendricks of South Africa claimed silver with 24.84 seconds, while Canada's Nicolas Guy Turbide secured bronze after finishing in 24.96 seconds.

The S13 classification is designated for para-swimmers with visual impairments.

While India's swimmers fought hard against world-class competition, the search for a breakthrough performance in the pool continues as the Commonwealth Games progress.