Srihari Nataraj focussed on making the most of Paris Olympics Universality Quota, shrugs off failure to clinch direct qualification [Exclusive]
Srihari Nataraj who made history by becoming only the second Indian swimmer to achieve the direct qualification route to the Olympic Games back in 2021 will represent the country in Paris 2024 as well.
Despite not having qualified via the "A" standard qualifying time, Srihari will compete in the 100m backstroke event at the Olympics for a second time after the Swimming Federation of India decided to utilize the Universality quota.
Srihari Nataraj told Sportskeeda during an exclusive interview that while the anxiety of the wait for making the cut has now given way to relief and joy, he is now focused on peaking during the Olympic Games.
The swimmer from Bengaluru disclosed that being part of the Paris Olympics was something he had been looking forward to for the past year or so.
"It's really exciting to be able to take part in my second Games. It's something that we've looked forward to for the past year or so, at least, for sure. And, you know, it would have been even sweeter if I'd done via the "A" qualifying time like we had targeted but I fell short a bit and it is what it is," Srihari Nataraj stated.
"So now, it feels good to be a part of the team. And, you know, the last week was a little bit of just an anxious wait to see if I get the quota spot or not, because I finished all my races and I didn't get the qualifying time. So also a bit of relief, I could say," he added.
Srihari Nataraj who won a silver medal in the 50m backstroke event at the 30th Mare Nostrum swimming tour in France in May revealed that he now had to find a way to peak again during the Paris Olympics.
The 23-year-old did concede, however, that his preparation for the Olympics would not have been significantly different had he qualified for the event earlier.
"I mean, the biggest difference would have been that I would have had a little more time to train specifically for the Olympics and have some more time to, you know, focus on peaking at the Olympics. I peaked recently and I have to figure out a way to peak again within a month," Srihari explained.
Srihari stressed that he has trained specifically for the 50m and 100m backstroke for the past year and a half.
"But having said that, the entire past six months or even the past year, year-and-a-half, with the Asian Games and then taking a break and coming back, I've only trained specifically for the 50m and 100m backstroke," he disclosed.
"So because of that, I think I'm still in a good spot. I just need to work on, you know, ensuring I peak at the Olympics and execute my race properly," the backstroke ace reasoned.
A one-month gap between the state-level competition and the Nationals is something that Srihari is more than used to. Preparation for the Paris Games therefore is on the right track.
"It's always great to know earlier if I qualified or not, but the one-month duration is something we are actually quite used to because growing up, the difference between the State (competition) and the Nationals would always be one month. So it's something, it's a process that I'm kind of used to," Srihari Nataraj revealed.
"If I go personal best, I have a good shot at the semis" - Srihari Nataraj spells out aim for Paris 2024
Srihari Nataraj is realistic about his chances at the upcoming Paris Olympics but stresses that he has a "good shot" at the semifinals if he manages to achieve his personal best time of 53.77 seconds once more.
Srihari who had clocked 53.77 seconds in the 100m backstroke in Rome ahead of the 2021 Paris Olympics feels it will be a challenge to equal or better the time after three years.
"I know if I execute the race well, if I go personal best, I have a good shot at the semis because 53.7 made the semis last time. So if I can go like a 53.6, 53.5, I think that could be a good chance at putting me in the semis," he predicted.
"And that's quite a realistic goal, but also quite a big challenge up ahead. So for me, as of now, it's been three years since I went to personal best. So there's also a big goal of trying to go personal best because at the end of the day, sometimes a personal best is a victory on its own at times for a lot of athletes," Srihari said.
Srihari Nataraj also called on Indian sports fans to show their support regardless of the results with an assurance that every athlete at the Olympic Games would give their best.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Srihari finished in the 27th position in the overall standings with a timing of 54.31 seconds in the 100m backstroke.
"I mean, just know that every single athlete, not just swimmers, every single athlete is there to try their best and hopefully win a medal. That's the goal for every athlete, every one of us, and we're going to try our best. But sometimes it just doesn't work out," Srihari Nataraj pointed out.
"Sometimes, you know, we maybe aren't good enough yet or sometimes it just doesn't work and that's how the sport works. So just show us your support and be on our side and we'll make sure that we give our best," he concluded.
14-year-old swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu has also qualified for the Paris Olympics thanks to the Universality quota and is set to become the youngest member of the Indian contingent at the Games.
The Universality quota allows member countries to recommend their two highest-ranked swimmers (one from each gender) if no swimmer achieves direct Olympic qualification.