'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Eight renowned Indian sailors participated in the Paris 2024 Olympics sailing test event and fought well to represent the nation on a broader level. However, among eight, the esteemed sailor Nethra Kumanan grabbed the best rankings among the Indian contingent. Showcasing his prowess, he finished in 22nd place in the tournament's sailing test event and made his name with tactics.
It was the first test event of the Paris 2024 Olympics which is a global sailing competition in Marseille. This event was in action from July 9th at Roucas Blanc Marina and ended on July 16th. Some of the top athletes from all over the world participated in the event in the south of France, which also included the eight Indian sailors.
These eight sailors include the likes of Vishnu Saravanan, Nethra Kumanan, KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar, Preethi Konghara and Sudhanshu Shekhar, Siddheshwar Diphode and Ramya Saravanan - They participated in the events men's dinghy, women's dinghy, men's skiff, mixed dinghy, and mixed multihull respectively.
Nethra Kumanan becomes the first Indian woman to qualify for Olympic sailing event in Tokyo
Among them, Kumanan became the first Indian woman to earn direct qualification for the Olympic sailing event in Tokyo. She finished 22nd while competing in 38 contestants in a dinghy competition. Showcasing her prowess, the lady gathered valuable 170 net points. The prestigious test event is a forum for her to garnish her skills before stepping toward the grand stage.
On the other hand, Marit Bouwmeester finished at the top. She collected 44 net points to prove her mettle. Marit is also a Rio 2016 Olympic Champion and she carried on her dominance in the recently-concluded event. It is pertinent to mention that in sailing, the lower the points, the better for the athlete to hog over others.
It is pertinent to mention that among the eight aforementioned Indian athletes, half of them participated in Tokyo Olympics 2020. Alongside Nethra Kumanan, KC Ganapathy, Vishnu Saravanan, and Varun Thakkar also showcased their promising performances.
