Latest News on Vishnu Saravanan sailing, Biography, Profile, Photos and Videos

Vishnu’s first major inspiration behind taking up sailing was his father Subedar Major Ramachandran Saravanan (retd). Instagram/vishnu.saravanan

Editor’s Note: For five years now, Indian athletes have been dreaming to make up for the disappointment of a two-medal haul in Rio. The span has been extraordinary, with COVID-19 having thrown their preparations – and the Olympics itself – off gear. However, in true Olympic spirit, the country’s finest sportspersons have battled form and uncertainty to put their best foot forward in what promises to be a Games like none other. In our latest series, we track the last two years’ performances of our athletes to give you a ready guide to their form leading into the biggest sporting spectacle of the world.

With the Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, Firstpost takes a quick look at Indian sailor Vishnu Saravanan, and charts his journey towards securing Olympic qualification:

Sealing Olympic qualification

Vishnu Saravanan’s first notable achievement at the international level was winning bronze at the Under-21 World Championships in Croatia in 2019.

And in April 2021, the sailor created history by finishing second in the Laser Standard Class at the Mussanah Championships in Oman, thereby punching his ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. Singapore’s Ryan Jun Han finished atop in the same category while Sarvanan pipped Thailand’s Keerati Bualong for the Olympic berth.

Vishnu’s first major inspiration behind taking up sailing was his father Subedar Major Ramachandran Saravanan (retd), a sailor who once dreamt of representing India at the Olympics but quit sailing and began guiding youngsters. Vishnu’s sister Ramya Saravanan was also in the mix in the Laser Radial category but finished sixth to miss the Tokyo cut by a few points.

“I always wanted to achieve what my dad could not, so I am following his footsteps and he has given me the pathway to the Olympics. He has been through a lot to make me what I am today,” Vishnu told Firstpost after his Olympic qualification.

Challenges and training amid COVID-19

Confident after a bronze medal finish at the U-21 World Championships in 2019, Vishnu was looking forward to the Olympic qualifiers in Abu Dhabi in March 2020. However, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 and a lockdown was enforced in the city. He returned to Malta, where there was no lockdown, but felt demotivated, with doubts over the fate of the Olympic qualifiers.

It was then that Alexandr, Vishnu’s coach, came to his aid and worked towards improving the young Indian sailor’s physique.

“We started doing different things. We were focusing more on physical preparation because it is very important to have a good physique in this sport and we worked on every joint in the body,” the 22-year-old Vishnu said, speaking to Firstpost about his training during that time.

Vishnu has spent as many as five years in Malta now, and while he did return to India on occasions, this wasn’t the case in the lockdown as the sailor had to stay away from home for fourteen months. Thus, the lockdown also tested him mentally. His mental conditioning was taken care of Irishman Trevor Millar, the founder of the Sail Coach Academy in Malta.

The young Indian sailor, as a result, was well prepared when the Mussanah Open Championship was announced as an Asian Olympic qualifier. In Oman, he made an impact right away, claiming the second Asian berth on offer.

Regardless of how he fares at Tokyo, qualifying for the Games, that too in a niche sport such as sailing in India, is already a monumental achievement.

Click here to check out form guides for the rest of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.