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Swimmer Sajan Prakash becomes 1st Indian to make Olympic 'A' cut
Updated On: 27 June, 2021 08:23 AM IST | New Delhi | PTI
"This was my last chance, and I knew I had to do it here. I had come so close to the qualifying mark in the previous meets, but my Coach Pradeep Sir and I planned my tapering in such a way that I would peak at these two events in Serbia and Rome."
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Photo for representational purpose. Picture Courtesy/iStock
Sajan Prakash on Saturday became the first-ever Indian swimmer to qualify for the Olympic Games by breaching the `A` standard time, clocking 1:56:38 seconds in the men`s 200m butterfly event at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, Italy. The Games `A` standard was set at 1:56.48 seconds and the 27-year-old Prakash completed the run 0.10 seconds faster at the FINA-accredited Olympic qualifier. "I have worked very hard for this, and I was confident with the way I had trained," Prakash was quoted as saying in a press release. "This was my last chance, and I knew I had to do it here. I had come so close to the qualifying mark in the previous meets, but my Coach Pradeep Sir and I planned my tapering in such a way that I would peak at these two events in Serbia and Rome."
"I am grateful to all the support I have received from SFI, SAI and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS). I believed in myself and my Coach Pradeep Kumar. Pradeep Sir was the anchor and I owe this to him. I knew I had it in me, and I am glad I achieved it," added Sajan. Prakash also rewrote his own national record of 1:56.96s that he had set last week at the Belgrade Trophy swimming competition. This will be Prakash`s second successive Olympics, having represented India in the 2016 Rio Games. "Historic moment in Indian Swimming !!! Sajan Prakash breaks the glass ceiling clocks 1:56.38 an Olympic qualification time. CONGRATULATIONS," tweeted Swimming Federation of India. Prakash will take part in the Tokyo Games alongside Maana Patel, who has been nominated by the Swimming Federation of India for the Universality places. Prakash`s direct qualification means Srihari Nataraj, who missed the `A` the 100m men`s backstroke by 0.05s in Rome on Friday, will not be competing in the Tokyo Games despite being nominated for the Universality places.
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