Sajan Prakash first-ever Indian to make the Olympic 'A' cut in swimming

Sajan Prakash has created swimming history by becoming the first-ever Indian to make the 'A' qualifying cut to book his spot in the 200m Butterfly event at Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Saturday. Prakash was competing in the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, which doubled as the International Swimming Federation (FINA)-accredited qualifier for the games. Prakash clocked 1:56:38, 10 seconds above the qualifying cut of 1:56:48.

"I have worked very hard for this, and I was confident with the way I had trained," Prakash was quoted in a pool-side interview to the Press Trust of India (PTI).

"This was my last chance, and I knew I had to do it here. I had come so close to the qualifying mark in the previous meets, but my Coach Pradeep Sir and I planned my tapering in such a way that I would peak at these two events in Serbia and Rome."

"I am grateful to all the support I have received from SFI, SAI and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS). I believed in myself and my Coach Pradeep Kumar. Pradeep Sir was the anchor and I owe this to him. I knew I had it in me, and I am glad I achieved it," added Prakash.

Sajan Prakash breaks his own National Swimming Record

Prakash has reset his own national record of 1:56:96 seconds, which he set last week at the Belgrade Trophy competition. Prakash will now represent India in his second Olympic swimming event, after the Rio edition.

Historic moment in Indian Swimming !!! Sajan Prakash breaks the glass ceiling clocks 1:56.38 an Olympic qualification time. CONGRATULATIONS pic.twitter.com/WIEnvdlfbK

— @swimmingfederationofindia (@swimmingfedera1) June 26, 2021

Prakash will compete alongside Maana Patel, who has been nominated by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) for the hospitality slot. Srihari Nataraj will not be part of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 as the result of Sajan Prakash's direct qualification to the games, despite having been nominated earlier by the SFI.

The hospitality nominations for swimming allow each country to send at least one male and female swimmer to the games, provided no other swimmer qualifies for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 or gets a FINA-invite.