Swimming
Who is Srihari Nataraj? 10 things you should know about him
We take a look at one of India's upcoming swimming stars and record breaker, Srihari Nataraj
The ongoing Uzbekistan Open Championships have witnessed many a medal winner coming through. We take a look at one of India's upcoming swimming stars and record breaker, Srihari Nataraj who is looking to secure a place in the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 21.
Background
He was born on 16th January 2000 and hails from Bangalore.
Coach
Indian Swimmers with Coach Nihar Ameen
He was formerly coached by AC Jayarajan but is now under the tutelage of Nihar Ameen.
Idol
None other than Michael Phelps, someone who he aims to emulate for his physical and mental capabilities of stamina and will power.
Major International Events
Srihari Nataraj with mother Kalyani (Source: Kamesh Srinivasan/Facbook)
He has competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018 Asian Games and 2019 World Aquatic meet already at the age of 21.
First Major Record Broken
He broke 2 national records at the Senior World Championships in July 2019.
International Debut
He competed in short course swimming at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Marital Arts Games held in Turkmenistan.
Other Individual Achievements
He broke the senior national record in three backstroke events at the World Junior Championships in Budapest back in August 2019. This was all at the age of 18.
Olympics
He secured a lower B qualification mark in his bid to qualify for Tokyo in the 100m backstroke event. This will allow him to qualify in case the quota for his event is not full.
Olympic Qualification Timing
He made the B cut with a timing of 54.69 seconds at the FINA Junior Championships in 2019. He improved this to 54.07 in the final of Uzbekistan Open Championships. This puts him 0.22 seconds away from making the A grade qualification mark.
What To Expect
Going by his achievements at the age of 21, he is already touted to be one of the best swimmers that India has produced in the past few decades. His track record at international events shows him headed with an upward trajectory of a steady improvement in his performances and timings.
