On Friday, Khade first bettered the 50m games mark in the heat, with a 23.16, and then added a gold with a 22.68, the left fist punching the air even before the screen flashed the results.

“Kolhapur to England,” screamed the banners, as Khade’s fans raised the stakes and aimed at 2012, though the boy is still only on the fringes of the world pecking order. The boy with streaked hair and the elvish ears doesn’t stand out really. But when swimmers file out to the starting blocks, he certainly looks the part, equal in height to the Aussies and the English boys — no unwanted flab, no slumped shoulders. The Indian self-doubting, unlike so many previous years, doesn’t nag at the start.

An effortless spoke-like movement of arms and undiminishing speed made him unbeatable here in the 50 m, but Khade needs some work in the 200. “I’ve worked hard on the sprints, so the 200 will need a lot of hard work,” he admits.