Srihari Nataraj clears Tokyo Games Qualification Time in Men’s 100 Metres Backstroke

• 28 Jun 2021

• Indian swimmer from Bengaluru, Srihari Nataraj has cleared the Tokyo games qualification time in the men’s 100 metres backstroke during the time trial at Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, but his feat is yet to be approved by the International Swimming Federation, FINA.
• Nataraj clocked 53.77 seconds, which was faster than the Olympic qualification time of 53.85 secs.
• If FINA approves his timing, the 20-year-old Bengaluru swimmer will become the second Indian after Sajan Prakash to make the qualification cut that guarantees an automatic berth for the Olympics.
• No Indian had ever achieved the automatic qualification — the ‘A’ cut — for swimming in Olympics.