India is sending two athletes to the Paris Olympics. Both swimmers got the universality quota.
India’s ace swimmer Srihari Natraj is competing in the Olympics for the second consecutive time. Although he failed to reach the A mark for qualification, he is still very hopeful to make the most of the competition.
Speaking exclusively to InsideSport, Srihari Natraj shared his experience from the Olympics.
The Olympic Village is overwhelming
Talking about the Olympic village, Srihari said, “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 socialize together, which was new and exciting.”
Fortunate to take part for the second time
Srihari shared his excitement before going to Paris. “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”. Srihari said.
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,” he added.
