There’s hardly any doubt that Srihari Nataraj is one of the best swimmers in India currently, and no one really comes close to him in the country, as far as backstroke category is concerned. After all, he is a national record holder in all the men’s backstroke events, and has also made it to his second Olympics — Paris 2024, where he would be participating in the 100m backstroke event. It’s the same event Srihari had participated in Tokyo 2020, where he finished 27th overall with a timing of 54.31s, and did not qualify for the semis.
But this time around, to go far in at the Paris Olympics, not only will he have to produce his current ‘Personal Best’ effort of 53.77s, but even better it. Just a few days prior to his event at the Olympics 2024, Srihari Nataraj exclusively spoke with InsideSport, about his preparations, challenges, training and diet.
EXCERPTS
Q: Even though you didn’t achieve the ‘A’ Standard like last Olympics, how’s the feeling going into Paris 2024?
It’s quite disappointing and unfortunate that I didn’t achieve the qualifying mark, even though I’ve been training really well. It just didn’t happen in the race, and that’s how the sport is. So, I’ve come to terms with it. [It is] what it is, and now I can only focus on what’s ahead and not dwell on the past.
Q: How do you look at the competition in men’s 100m backstroke?
It’s really great to be able to compete in my second Olympics. For many, going to one is a dream, and I get to go to two now. I think I’m only the second [Indian] swimmer to do this, so that’s a great feeling. I know what to expect from most of the swimmers around the world in backstroke because I’ve been competing with many of them for years. But none of that’s on my mind; I can only control what I do and focus on that. So that’s the plan, and that’s what I’ve been doing.
Q: Would it have been a big motivator for you if more Indians qualified?
I mean, [the motivation] probably remains the same. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really affect me how big the strength of the team is going to be. It’d be great to see a big group of [Indian] swimmers at the Olympics as we’ve never had. But I tend to focus on myself a lot when I have to and shut out the rest of the world. So, it’s something I haven’t really thought about.
Q: How does your training regimen look like, in the lead up to the Olympics 2024?
So, I pretty much train every day from Monday to Saturday, and Sundays are the only days we have off. Out of those six days, on four I have me training twice a day. In the morning, I train from 7:00 to 9:30, then I go to the gym by 10:15 for about an hour and a half. I train again in the evening from 5:30 to 8:00 or 8:15. So, that’s pretty much what my week looks like.
Q: Is it focused on weight training or is it more about building endurance at the moment?
Ah, it’s actually about neither of those. There’s a lot of swim training happening, and the gym is just to maintain basic strength. Most of the work is happening in the pool, trying to simulate my race with a lot of sprint work and some endurance work as well. The 100-metre event is not just a dash; it takes about 50 to 53 seconds, so we need the endurance to swim at a high pace. We do a lot of speed endurance work.
Q: Michael Phelps mentioned he consumed 10,000 calories per day during the Olympics. Is it similar for you as well? Do you have a diet plan with a specific number of calories?
Not exactly. I do eat quite a bit and enjoy my food, but I keep it under control for most of the season. I do have the occasional cheat meal, like sweets here and there. But it’s mostly home-cooked food, trying to maintain balanced nutrition, and making sure I eat enough to avoid breaking down but not too much to gain unnecessary weight.
Q: Share your diet plan with us, how do your daily meals look like?
I have about five to six meals a day. My usual breakfast is eggs, sometimes with bread. Lunch is usually rice, and dinner might be pasta or roti with curry. I have coffee, a protein bar, or some fruit before the evening session. On my days off, I might not eat as much and skip the snacks before sessions. On Sundays, I wake up late and might skip breakfast, just having lunch directly.
Q: What do you have on your cheat meals? Do you like sweets like other athletes?
Oh, yeah. For the first 17 years of my life, I had ice cream every single night at home with my family. It was just something we did. I grew up on that, and I really like ice cream. I enjoy desserts and anything with sugar. I like chocolates, Mysore pak, anything sweet. I don’t find anything too sweet, even when others do. It’s something I enjoy a lot.
Q: Some people say Indians don’t eat enough meat. Is that a hindrance for you, or does it not matter?
It’s manageable. We have supplements to ensure we get enough protein.
Q: What are your expectations from Paris 2024?
In terms of training, I’m doing much better now, probably two to three times better than in 2021. Yeah, so there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be racing. But it just hasn’t clicked yet, like I said earlier. It has to happen on that day. So the next month is about figuring out why it hasn’t happened and how to make it happen. I’m quite confident going into 2024.
Q: Can you share any memorable stories from the 2021 Olympics?
The whole [Olympics] village experience was overwhelming. Meeting the best athletes from every sport, like [Novak] Djokovic and the Spanish football team, and hanging out with other Indian athletes from different sports was amazing. We had an entire building dedicated to the Indian team, and we would have meals and socialise together, which was new and exciting.
Q: Do you remember the competition, the prelims, and the following days? How did it feel to live that moment?
I don’t remember much about the training part. I remember it rained on the day I raced, and I decided to wear my tracksuit. I’m not sure why I chose to wear my regular tracksuit. It was just something that came to my mind in my room, and I didn’t realise it was raining until I stepped outside. I thought, ‘Okay, that was a good intuition on my part.’ Then I got into the pool. It felt like every other race, like the World Championships, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. I remember the lead-up to the race quite well.
I swam in the second pool at the venue because my event was towards the end. I had a particularly good warm-up. Generally, I judge how I feel based on my warm-ups, and that one was quite good. I felt calm and ready to go. I remember the race quite well. I remember having a good start and a good first 50 metres. I saw my split and thought, ‘That’s the same split as my best time.’ I just needed to find a little bit more to get a personal best and hopefully a semi-final spot. But in the second 50 metres, especially the last 20-25 metres, it just didn’t happen. The experience is still a bit of a blur because I was so much in the [mental] zone.
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