Swimmer Srihari Nataraj eyes semi-finals show at Olympics

Srihari Nataraj

Standing on the 2023 National Games podium adorned with 10 medals, eight of them gold, ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj was exhausted. He had been competing non-stop at major events since 2017 when he was just 16, and the grind had finally taken a toll on his body. "I just needed time off to rest because my 2023 season was crazy. Had I not taken time off, my body would have broken down," he told PTI.

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Refreshed after the break, Nataraj, 23, is ready for his second Olympics, in the 100m backstroke event. Nataraj qualified for Paris via the Universality Quota, which lets countries recommend their two highest-ranked swimmers if no one makes the cut otherwise.

Nataraj has not been able to improve his best time since 2021 (53.77s). However, recently he has improved his first 50m time and been fastest in training. "In Paris I'll try to get a personal best. If I do, it puts me in a good spot to be in the semi-finals," said Nataraj, who has a season's best of 54.68s.

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