On the second day of sailing competition at the Paris Olympics 2024, Indian sailors Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan faced a challenging day, ending their races outside the qualification zones.
Vishnu Saravanan, an accomplished Asian Games medalist, struggled to maintain his position in the men’s dinghy event. After a promising start where he finished 10th in the first race, Saravanan’s performance dipped in subsequent races. By the end of race four, he was in 19th place with a total of 19 race points. His earlier performance saw him at 20th position with 20 race points at the end of race three. Saravanan had initially slipped to 34th place with 34 race points after race two. To advance to the medal race, he must finish within the top 10 by the end of the 10th race.
In the women’s dinghy competition, Nethra Kumanan also experienced a tough day. She ended race three in the 27th position with 27 race points. Her performance in race two had seen her in 15th place with 15 race points. On the first day, Kumanan had a strong start, finishing 6th with 6 race points. To qualify for the medal race, she will need to improve significantly in the remaining races.
Vishnu Saravanan secured India’s first sailing quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics in January 2024 at the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship in Australia. He also won a bronze medal in the men’s dinghy competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. Nethra Kumanan achieved India’s second sailing quota for the Olympics during the Last Chance Regatta, held in Hyeres, France, in April. She earned her spot by finishing fifth among the top performers from the Emerging Nations Program (ENP) who had not yet qualified.
Both sailors will need to enhance their performance in the upcoming races to secure their places in the final medal race.
