Asian Para Games 2026: Himanshu Nandal wins bronze in men’s 400m freestyle S11

Himanshu Nandal won the bronze medal in the men's 400m freestyle S11 at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, finishing third in the event.

The 22-year-old from Rohtak has been blind since birth due to optic nerve failure and is a graduate in political science from Delhi University's Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College. He first competed in judo, winning medals at the national level, before taking up swimming in 2021.

Nandal recorded a time of 5 minutes 10.91 seconds to place third in a four-swimmer field in the 400m freestyle S11. He had earlier finished fourth in the men's 100m backstroke S11 on Monday, October 19, 2026.

The S11 classification is for swimmers with near-total visual impairment.

Ravi Karthik Budigina finished fifth in the men's 400m freestyle S13 with a time of 5:41.70; he had won a silver medal in the men's 100m freestyle S13 on Monday, October 19, 2026. The S13 classification is for athletes with a vision impairment. But they have the least vision loss among eligible athletes in a Paralympic sport.

Both Nandal's bronze and Budigina's fifth-place finish were recorded on the Asian Para Games schedule in Nagoya across October 19 and 20, 2026.