India’s Srihari Nataraj moved into the semifinals of the men’s 100m backstroke at the Commonwealth Games 2026 swimming competition in Glasgow on Tuesday, while veteran Sajan Prakash exited in the heats of the men’s 50m butterfly.
Nataraj finished fifth in his heat and placed 13th overall, clocking 55.58 seconds to secure a spot among the 16 fastest swimmers who advanced from the preliminary stage. The semifinals are scheduled to be held later on Tuesday night.
In the 50m butterfly, Prakash was unable to progress after finishing eighth in his heat and 28th overall. The 32-year-old, who competed in the ninth and final group, timed 24.94 seconds to end his campaign in the event at the heats stage.
Nataraj books a semifinal spot in 100m backstroke
Nataraj’s 55.58-second swim was enough to take him through to the next round, with the top 16 overall times from the heats moving on. He split 26.26 seconds at the 50m mark on his way to finishing fifth in his heat.
The Indian swimmer’s performance in Glasgow comes with the context of his established benchmark in the event: his personal best stands at 53.77 seconds, which is also the national record he set in 2021. With the semifinals set for later in the day, Nataraj will look to build on his heats effort as the competition intensifies.
Nataraj, 25, is also a two-time Olympian. Earlier in the meet, he was part of the Indian men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team that qualified with encouragement but finished sixth in the final on Monday.
Prakash falls short in 50m butterfly heats
Prakash’s 24.94 seconds in the 50m butterfly was well off his personal best of 23.83 seconds, which is also the national record. His placement—eighth in his heat and 28th overall—meant he did not make the cut for the next stage.
The 32-year-old, a two-time Olympian, had also competed in the men’s 200m butterfly earlier in the schedule. On Monday, he finished eighth and last in the final, timing 1:58.05. That was below his personal best and national record of 1:56.38.
Why Tuesday’s swims matter for India in Glasgow
Nataraj’s progression into the 100m backstroke semifinals keeps India’s presence alive in one of the marquee backstroke events, with the next round set for later on Tuesday. In contrast, Prakash’s early exit in the 50m butterfly underlined the fine margins at the Games level, where fractions of a second can decide advancement.
India’s Commonwealth Games swimming history has had limited medal returns, with Prasanta Karmakar remaining the only Indian swimmer to win a medal at the event—a bronze in the 50m freestyle S9 para event at New Delhi 2010. Against that backdrop, every semifinal berth carries added significance as Indian swimmers look to push deeper into finals contention in Glasgow.
