Controversy marred yesterday's final day of the Validus Bermuda National Swimming Championships at the Aquatics Centre.

Doubts were raised over the legitimacy of Pryanka Priyadrshni's blistering swim of 30.88sec in the girls' 13 and over 50 breaststroke heats after the 17-year-old posted the fifth fastest time in the world over that distance this year. It was alleged that a male swimmer, and not Priyadrshni, competed in the controversial race.

Yet despite widespread concerns, no evidence supporting this claim was provided and no protest filed after the race.

Priyadrshni's time was a personal best and qualified her for next month's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, August's Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, and the 2016 World Championships to be held in Kazan, Russia.

A hysterical Priyadrshni last night vehemently denied any wrongdoing and maintained that it was in fact she, and not any other swimmer, who competed in the controversial heat.

“I, Pryanka Priyadrshni, swam that race,” she said. “I swam my race and I do not know anything about the other guy.

“The person they are putting the allegation on is named AJ [Agnishwar Jayaprakash].

“He is from South India and there is nothing in common. We do not swim with the same coach and are not from the same state.”

She added: “There are eight girls in the lane and normally if there is a problem the swimmer can always raise their hand and say 'this is not her', especially a competitor such as me, who the girl next to me knew. She knew it was me.

“These allegations are totally unfair at a time when I am supposed to celebrate my success and I should be happy. A person is supposed to be appreciated for their hard work and I have been training very hard for the past eight months only for the 50 breaststroke.”

Priyadrshni was scratched from the 50 breaststroke final after spraining her right ankle in a fall after the controversial race.

“My pulse was so high and I was about to vomit so I went to the bathroom and vomited and slipped in excitement because the floor was wet,” she said.

“I scratched from the final because I hurt my leg. I thought it was fractured but the doctors said it was sprained and they told me to rest my leg.”

According to one observer, who spoke under condition of anonymity, Jayaprakash, the only other Indian swimmer at the event, left the facility after the women's 50 breaststroke preliminary heat and was never seen again for the remainder of the day.

Meanwhile, Nick Strong, Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association president, confirmed that Pryanka s time will go on record as being legitimate.

“There has been some speculation,” he said. “But there is no official allegation or a protest so the time will stand.”

The controversy surrounding Priyadrshni's swim overshadowed several outstanding performances by Bermuda swimmers at the meet.

Roy-Allan Burch, the two-times Olympian, broke his own national record in the 50 butterfly and reached the qualifying standard for the Pan American Games in the 50 freestyle. He also won gold medals in the 50 butterfly, 100 and 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke.

“It is always nice to get a couple of best in season times so it was a very successful weekend for me here,” Burch said. “I was kind of on where I was expected to be.”

Ashley Irby also had a swim meet to remember as she captured gold medals in the 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke as well as a silver medal in the 100 backstroke.

She also set national age group records in the 50 and 100 freestyle for added measure.

“She did amazing,” Ben Smith, the national coach, said. “She has worked extremely hard to lower all the times she did at this year's Carifta Swimming Championships.”

Bermuda swimmers Lisa Blackburn and Rebecca Heyliger both failed in their bids to reach the qualifying standard for the Commonwealth Games at the four-day championships, leaving Burch and Julian Fletcher as Bermuda's sole representatives for the upcoming Games in Scotland.