Swimmer Kushagra Rawat achieves B standard to step closer to Tokyo Olympics
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India might have found a swimming prodigy one year before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Kushagra Rawat, who achieved a B standard at the Speedo Thailand Age Group swimming championships on Sunday. As per rules, if standard A doesnât fill the full quota of swimmers in Olympics, B is called upon.
Rawat managed to clock a brilliant 08.07.99 to cross the Olympic Games B standard qualifying time of 08:08.54 of the 800m freestyle event. Apart from this, he also surpassed the B standard of 2019 FINA World Championships, which had a timing of 08:10.91.
Apart from the 800m freestyle, Kushagra also made to the B standard for the World Championships in the 400m freestyle clocking 03:56.10. The B standard qualifying time for the World Championships in 400m freestyle, however, is 03.56.14.
âYour aim must be high, do your efforts accordingly, you will get your goal nearby,â said Kushagra, who trains at the SAI Glenmark TIDM programme, reported PTI.
Rawat had joined the academy three years back in
According to the rules, the Olympics and World Championships can call upon swimmers of the standard B to compete if the A standard fails to full the quota of swimmers to take part in one event.
âAs of now, it is not 100 per cent guaranteed that he will take part in the Olympics or World Championships, but he has a taken a step towards doing that. If A standard achievers do not fill up the full quota of swimmers required for a particular event, those who achieved B standard will be allowed to participate,â an official told PTI.
