Swimming federation of India has announced Srihari Nataraj along with Dhinidhi Desinghu will be representing India at the upcoming Paris Olympics via the Universality Quota.
Universality Quota ensures representation of countries in the Olympic swimming event if their athletes haven’t achieved direct qualification standards.
The final qualification deadline passed on June 23rd without any Indian swimmer achieving direct qualification. As a result, the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) utilized the universality places provision.
Srihari Nataraj will compete in the 100m backstroke event. Since a young age, Nataraj has displayed considerable promise, having represented India at esteemed events like the World Aquatics Championships and the Olympics.
Paris would be Nataraj’s second Olympic appearance, after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics with an impressive performance of 53.77 secs at Sette Colli in 2021, giving him a well-deserved A standard qualification.
He finished 27th out of 40 in men’s heat with a time of 54.31 secs which was not enough to advance through to the semifinals.
His performances in 2024 have been rather mixed. Here’s a summary of how he’s fared this year.
Srihari Nataraj secured a Silver medal with a time of 54.68 seconds and a Bronze medal with a time of 54.82 seconds at the Mare Nostrum Canet, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat.
However at the Olympics, Nataraj would need to significantly elevate his performance to make an impact. Drawing from his extensive international experience at a young age and gaining confidence from it, Nataraj is resolute in his pursuit to leave a profound impression at the Olympics.
Written by Avineet
