Cameron McEvoy breaks the 50-meter freestyle world record
SHENZHEN (China), March 21: Olympic and world champion swimmer Cameron McEvoy has broken the men’s 50-meter freestyle world record which had stood for 17 years.The 31-year-old Australian posted a time of 20.88 seconds on Friday at the China Open in Shenzhen, taking 0.03 second off Brazilian Cesar Cielo’s previous mark.Cielo set his world record of 20.91 during swimming’s so-called “super suit” era in 2009. Those suits were later banned because they increased buoyancy and reduced drag, resulting in nearly 150 world records falling in 2009 before being prohibited in 2010.“I knew I had a chance to do a PB (personal best),” McEvoy said. “My old PB was 21.06, so maybe 20.99? But doing ?20.88 is unreal. It’s crazy.” Cielo was quick to congratulate McEvoy on social media, tweeting: “Congrats, Cam. Lightning fast swim! Incredible!” (AP)
Karnataka’s Tumakuru to host first ITF Women’s W35 meet
BENGALURU, March 21: In a significant boost to Karnataka’s growing tennis stature, Tumakuru is set to host its first ever ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour W35 tournament from May 4-10.The tournament will be held at the Tumkur District Tennis Stadium, Tumkur University Campus.The upcoming W35 will be the second international event in Tumakuru’s history and the first ever ITF Women’s tournament in over two decades.The USD 30,000 event is part of the global ITF Women’s circuit, offering a pathway for players to earn professional ranking points and progress towards the WTA Tour.Emerging international players and top Indian professionals will compete across a 32-player singles main draw and qualifying rounds.Following a successful run of international tournaments in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi, the event strengthens Karnataka’s presence on the global tennis calendar and reflects efforts to take the sport beyond established centres.The tournament marks a historic moment for Tumakuru, which last hosted an international tennis event in 2003 — the ATP Challenger (Tumkur Open).The event featured players such as Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj, while Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber claimed the title.Among the field was Marcos Baghdatis, who reached the semi-finals and later rose to a career high World No. 8, finishing runner-up in the 2006 Australian Open.The tournament remains the only international tennis event to have been held in the city. (PTI)
