Backstroker Srihari Nataraj’s Tokyo 2020 berth confirmed by FINA
Srihari will be the second Indian swimmer at the upcoming Summer Games. Sajan Prakash had qualified earlier in 200m butterfly.
Swimmer Srihari Nataraj’s participation at next month’s Tokyo Olympics was confirmed after the world governing body for aquatics -- FINA -- approved the timing the Indian clocked in a time trial on the sidelines of the Sette Colli Trophy in Italy on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Srihari achieved the 100m backstroke Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) in Rome but had to wait for FINA nod since the performance came during an out-of-competition race.
“Srihari Nataraj’s Olympic qualification time of 53.77 (seconds) swam in the time trial at the Sette Colli Trophy is affirmed by FINA. SFI had put forward its representation to FINA for this. Srihari joins Sajan Prakash as India's A qualification entry to Tokyo,” the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) tweeted.
The confirmation means India will field at least two swimmers at Tokyo 2020.
Sajan Prakash became the first Indian ever to achieve the OQT when he clocked 1:56.38 seconds in the 200m butterfly at the Sette Colli Trophy last week. The qualification standard for the event was set at 1:56.48 seconds.
Women’s swimmer Maana Patel, too, can feature in the Indian swimming contingent at Tokyo 2020 if India’s nomination under the universality quota is accepted by FINA.
The world governing body is expected to release a list of qualified athletes, including universality quota allocations, on Wednesday.