India’s Sailing Hopes Dim as Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan Struggle in Paris Olympics Opening Series
India’s Olympic sailing campaign got off to a disappointing start in Marseille, France, as Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan faced setbacks in the women’s and men’s dinghy sailing events, respectively.
Nethra Kumanan, who finished 11th after the first three races on Friday, endured a challenging Saturday, slipping to 24th place after Race 6. The 26-year-old struggled to maintain consistency, finishing 19th in Race 4, 25th in Race 5, and 24th in Race 6.
Meanwhile, Vishnu Saravanan, ranked 22nd after Race 4 on Friday, dropped a spot to 23rd after Race 6 on Saturday. The 25-year-old Indian remained in 23rd place after Race 5, failing to make any significant progress.
With four more races remaining in the opening series, both Kumanan and Saravanan face an uphill battle to qualify for the medal race. The top 10 boats from the opening series will advance to the medal race on Tuesday, where the top three boats will be determined based on the overall score from the opening series and the final.
India’s hopes of a strong showing in sailing at the Paris Olympics now rest on the shoulders of Kumanan and Saravanan improving their performances in the remaining races. They will need to find their rhythm and consistency to secure a spot in the medal race and challenge for a podium finish.
