New Delhi, July 23: Richa Mishra broke a long-standing national record in women's 200m butterfly event at the World Swimming Championship in Barcelona today but once again the gulf between India's best and the top performers lay exposed. Mishra bettered Bula Choudhary's 17-year-old record by 0.02 seconds, timing 2 minutes 19.58 seconds in the qualifiers, according to information received here today. The timing could only ensure a 34th place finish for Richa among 40 competitors. She missed the Olympic qualifying mark by almost two seconds.

Bureau Report