Vishnu Saravanan outlines his preparations as he gears up for Paris Olympics 2024

Vishnu Saravanan became the first sailor from India to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Vishnu Saravanan is all set to feature at his second Olympic Games in Paris after representing India at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. At the postponed Olympics, held in 2021, Saravanan placed 20th in a highly-competitive 35-member field as he emerged as the second-best Asian athlete in the men’s one-person dinghy event.

With fewer than two months to go until the Paris Olympics, Saravanan is prepared to face the tough conditions at Marseille Marina, also the venue for the quadrennial event, as he gears up for his second Games.

Vishnu Saravanan became the first sailor from India to qualify for the Paris Olympics after obtaining the quota by finishing a sensational 26th out of 152 participants at the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. This placement secured him the fifth position out of the seven total quotas available at the event.

As the Paris Olympics approach, Vishnu Saravanan delved deeper into the challenges, preparations, his journey so far and other key aspects during a virtual press conference organized by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on June 11, 2024.

Also Read: Vishnu Saravanan qualifies for Paris Olympics 2024, secures India’s first sailing quota

Differing environments at Tokyo Olympics & Paris Olympics

Saravanan discussed the difference in nature between the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics, stating, “It’s definitely a little bit different because COVID changed the Tokyo Olympics because it was more kind of isolated. But overall, it actually helped me to grow as an athlete and also mature as a person because anything can happen in such a short period.”

“That’s what made me realize to keep being in the present, focus on daily basis, just keep following the routine and that will lead to good things. Hope is all we can do and just keep moving forward. Tokyo was a special one because, of course, it’s my first Olympics.”

Importance of rankings

On being asked how it felt to be inside the top 20, Vishnu Saravanan responded, “The other day I was surprised I was back to 17, but it’s no surprise that I’ve been doing very well this year because I’ve been consistently up there for sure.”

Vishnu Saravanan added, “It has given me a big boost of confidence that I can be up there and even more that I can really do well if I have my A game. I think it shows potential to be happy about and just to train forward, which is important. World ranking, it is very important because I tell myself one day I’ll be World No. 1 and it’ll be very nice to see that happening.”

Training in Olympic waters alongside Olympic medalists

To prepare himself better for the Games, he has spent one month training at the Marseille Marina along with Olympic medalists Pavlos Kontides and Tonči Stipanović. He mentioned this during the virtual conference by stating, “I’ve been lucky to be able to train in the Olympic waters and also lucky to have such good training partners who actually won Olympic medals.”

“I am in the army, but I’ve never been in the war. But, when I’m sailing on water with these guys, it feels like I’m on war every day because the intensity is super high and my heart rate never goes below 150. It might look from outside like we don’t really work so much, but the tension is quite high and it’s always running. So, it’s quite fun to be there. I like the pressure.”

More pressure or confidence about Paris Olympics

On being asked whether he is feeling the pressure more or is more confident for the upcoming Games, Saravanan stated, “To be honest, I’ve always been pressurized from my childhood because as a sailor, we are not really recognized as much. Also, not many people know about it. It’s kind of hard to put it out there.”

“So, I always wanted to kind of be the pioneer, to bring it out on an international stage by winning medals. There’s no other better way to put it out there than winning medals. I like pressure, as Billie Jean King says, pressure is a privilege. So, I really like pressure because that’s when I am in the zone.”

Challenging contest during Paris Olympics

Vishnu Saravanan stated that the biggest challenge the athletes may encounter are the conditions because they can be very random. He said, “When the wind comes in different directions, it’s very challenging with the waves and the wind direction because there’s a lot of un-patternized movements of the wind, which is very unpredictable. So, you have to be prepared and you have to be present to understand that”.

He added, “Tactically, I think it will be a very challenging race overall, which I’m looking forward to because I love playing chess and I describe sailing as chess on water because it’s how you place your boat according to the others and according to the wind. So, it’ll be quite interesting and I’m quite excited for that.”

Heading to Paris Olympics along with Nethra Kumanan

Besides Vishnu Saravanan, Nethra Kumanan will be representing India at her second Olympics, having competed in Tokyo. Saravanan reflected on his friendship with Kumanan, stating, “Myself and Nethra, we’ve known each other for a long time and I’ve always been nice, good friends with her.”

The 25-year-old shared his delight after Nethra qualified for the Paris Olympics, adding, “I didn’t want to disturb her that week (when she qualified). I was just following the results. So, we had a nice dinner last night and we celebrated with a nice yogurt. It is good to go with her to the Olympic Games, I don’t feel left alone as a sailing contender.”

Credits parents for their contributions

Vishnu Saravanan gave credit to his parents for his success in the sport. He added, “Without my dad, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Even my mom, I give all the credit to my dad, but my mother also deserves the same amount of credit because she’s put up with my dad with whatever and she’s put up with me. My dad’s been always a sports addict and he’s always want me to achieve.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram