Odisha swimming ace Pratyasa Ray made the state immensely proud by winning the coveted gold medal in womens 200m backstroke event on the third day of the 79th Senior National Aquatic Championships at Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat today.

Pratyasa clocked a personal best timing of 2:20.22, showcasing her exceptional talent, determination, and continuous progress at the national level. Competing against some top swimmers of the country, she demonstrated remarkable technique and composure to finish atop the podium and claim her first ever Senior National gold medal.

Bhubaneswar swimmer Pratyasa, who trains at the Odisha IIS-JSW Swimming High Performance Centre, Kalinga Stadium, took the lead from the word go and maintained it throughout the race to win the gold well ahead of her Karnataka opponent Naisha, who claimed the silver with a time of 2:21.64. Jiya Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) secured the bronze, clocking 2:22.26.

This was the second medal for Odisha in the ongoing National championship with Pratyasa also claiming the first one with a bronze in 50m backstroke yesterday. She also registered her personal best time of 30.59 seconds in the 50m event. The most decorated swimmer of Odisha, Pratyasa will be bidding for another medal in 100m backstroke tomorrow.

The individual gold medal for Pratyasa was the results of her continuous hard work, discipline and dedication, the guidance of the HPC staff, especially Technical Director Douglas Eagar, coach Yurvesh Dubey, the State Sports & Youth Services Department and the Odisha State Swimming Association.

“I am in Ahmedabad, but unable to contact her. She is not using her phone in order to stay focused on her events in the National championship,” said Pratyasa’s mother Charushree Behura. “Winning the Senior National individual gold medal was a long-cherished dream for Pratyasa. I am very happy and proud that she has made it come true,’’ stated her father Rajat Kumar Ray.
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PHOTO: Odisha swimming star Pratyasa Ray poses with her 200m backstroke gold medal at the 79th Senior National Aquatic Championships in Ahmedabad on 18 June 2026.