Top 3 moments in Indian swimming at the Olympics
While India has never been a medal contender in swimming at the Olympics, there have been significant moments worth celebrating. Indian swimmers have often had to rely on universality quotas to qualify for the Olympic Games.
However, over the years, there have been instances of swimmers breaching the Olympic 'A' timings for direct qualification and qualifying in multiple events. Certainly, they have shown a lot of promise over the years, and their progress is evidence of that.
Let us look back at some of India’s best moments in swimming at the Olympics:
#1 Sajan Prakash - 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Sajan Prakash is one name that cannot be left out while talking about swimming in India. The swimmer from Kerala has left his mark in Indian swimming history and will always be remembered as the first Indian swimmer to win a direct qualification to the Olympics.
At the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, he clocked a new national record of 1:56.38 seconds in the men's 200m butterfly event. This timing was under the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) of 1:56.48 seconds, securing his berth at the Tokyo Olympics.
Tokyo 2020 marked another milestone for Sajan Prakash as he became the first Indian swimmer to participate in two Olympic Games. He made his debut at the Rio Olympics in 2016 after being granted a spot under the universality quota.
Prakash finished 28th in the 200m butterfly event at the 2016 Summer Olympics and improved his standing to 24th in the same event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Additionally, he finished 46th in the 100m butterfly event at Tokyo 2020 with a timing of 53.45 seconds.
#2 Srihari Nataraj - 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Srihari Nataraj has emerged as one of India's top swimming talents in the last few years. Similar to Sajan Prakash’s historic swim at the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, Nataraj also went on to set his personal best of 53.77 seconds at the meet and earned himself a direct qualification in the men’s 100m backstroke for the Olympics. Nataraj’s qualification marked another significant milestone in Indian swimming history.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nataraj competed in Heat 3 of the men’s 100m backstroke and ended up finishing third with a time of 54.31 seconds. Germany’s Marek Ulrich, who topped the heat at 53.74 seconds, was just 0.57 seconds faster than Nataraj. Srihari finished 27th out of 40 overall.
Although this timing wasn't enough to secure a spot in the semi-finals, as only the top 16 swimmers advance, it was a commendable effort from the then 20-year-old swimmer. At the Paris Olympics 2024, the Indian swimmer represented India in his second Olympics.
#3 Shikha Tandon - 2004 Athens Olympics
Shikha Tandon’s qualification at the 2004 Athens Olympics is one such achievement by an Indian swimmer that cannot be left out of any list.
The Indian swimmer entered the international swimming scene at a very young age. Competing in the Asian Games at 13, the World Championships at 16, and the Olympic Games at 19.
However, at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Tandon made history when she competed in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events, becoming the first Indian swimmer to qualify for two separate events in an Olympic Games. While she finished 46th in the 100m freestyle and 40th in the 50m freestyle. Shikha Tandon's achievements have left a lasting legacy in Indian swimming, and to this day she remains the only Indian woman to achieve this feat.