Sajan Prakash on June 26 made history by becoming the first Indian swimmer to meet the 'A' standard for the sport, leading him to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Prakash clocked 1:56.38 in the 200m butterfly event of the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome. The qualifying standard for the event was set at 1:56.48.
"It's a solid timing," the 27-year-old told ESPN. "When I saw it flash on the board, I was in tears."
Prakash, who hails from Kerala, had represented India at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The swimmer was born in Idukki, Kerala and did his schooling in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu. Prakash's mother VJ Shantymol is also a former athlete who has represented India at international events.
Sajan Prakash, Armed Police Inspector in Kerala Police, qualified for the Olympics with the A cut time 1.56.38 in 200m butterfly in Rome today. He becomes the first Indian swimmer to represent India, in the Olympics and to qualify with an A cut. A proud moment the country. pic.twitter.com/vWj61guusX
— Kerala Police (@TheKeralaPolice) June 26, 2021
He had been training at the Thanyapura Aquatic Centre in Phuket, Thailand on a FINA scholarship since 2015. But during the pandemic he was trained by coach Pradeep Kumar in Dubai.
Prakash told ESPN about the strenuous training sessions under Kumar.
"He'd make me do short rest sets, he'd tell me not to breathe with every stroke, as soon as I'd touch the wall he'd say 'go', and it was really hard on me. Slowly, I saw myself grow stronger in the races. I would do simulations in my racing suit, without shaving and tapering. I still managed to clock 1:58. That's when I knew I was up to some good," he told the sports news website.
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