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Tokyo 2020 Olympian Nethra Kumanan opened up about her preparations for the upcoming Summer Games in Paris after securing the quota for the second consecutive time in sailing.
While competing in the women's dinghy (ILCA 6), Nethra managed to get the fifth spot after scoring 67 points in the overall leaderboard of the Last Chance Regatta, an Olympic qualifier event, held in Hyeres, France, last week. A total of 17 Indian sailors were in action during the Last Chance Regatta 2024 from April 21 to 26. Out of these, only Nethra finished in the top 10. Nethra talked about her preparations for the event and stated that she is better prepared for the tournament as she has experience with the venue (Paris) which will help in improving her performance. "This is my second Olympic Games I was expecting it to do it last year. It has been a hard year. Finally having done it is a relief. I am way more prepared, sailing is very venue-specific. I have been there and I am going to spend one more month there so I feel way more prepared. From my past experience, I know the magnitude of events like Olympics so I know what to expect and all the distractions that come with it and I can put it aside and focus on performing," Nethra told ANI. In the Tokyo Olympics, the Chennai-based sailor finished 35th overall in the women's laser radial after 10 qualifying races. She failed to make the cut for the final and recorded a best finish of 15th in the third race. Nethra opened up about the difficulties she faced in the Tokyo edition due to the lack of familiarity with the conditions and a support system. "Last time I didn't visit Tokyo, I went to a new place to race which is a difficult thing in our sport. You have to prepare at the location, know the weather, the water the waves. So this time much more prepared than before. I have a coach just for me I have a team supporting me. Last time I really didn't have, I had one really helpful coach but he had other priorities. This time I really feel a lot more supported. I have the freedom to do whatever I need to do to perform," she added. Paris Olympics will begin on July 6 and will conclude on August 11. (ANI)
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