India's [ Images ] best hope Rehan Poncha improved his personal best by almost a second in his favourite event, the 200 metres butterfly stroke, at the World Swimming championships in Barcelona [ Images ] on Tuesday but his timing was nowhere near the Olympic [ Images ] qualifying mark he had set out to achieve.

Poncha clocked 2 minutes 08.05 seconds, substantially better than his previous best of 2 minutes 09.02 seconds, but his 46th position in the qualifying rounds took him nowhere.

The Olympic qualifying mark for the event is 2:04.56 seconds.

Ambica Iyenger also bettered her personal best in the women's 200 metres freestyle but finished a poor 52nd in a field of 65 swimmers, Virendra Nanavati, secretary general of the Swimming Federation of India, who is accompanying the Indian team in Barcelona, said.

Ambica completed the race in 2 minutes 13.63 seconds, which is almost two seconds quicker than her best.