Smooth sailing for Vishnu, books Paris berth

Adelaide, January 31

Asian Games bronze medallist Vishnu Sarvanan today became the first Indian sailor to qualify for successive Olympics. A Subedar from the Mumbai-based Army Yachting Node, the 24-year-old secured qualification for the Paris Games by finishing 26th out of 152 participants in ILCA-7 at the World Championships here. He thus becomes the first Indian sailor to make the cut for the Paris Games.

Vishnu secured the top rank among the Asian countries. He concluded the competition with an overall score of 174. Following the standard rule, his lowest score of 49 was subtracted, resulting in a net score of 125.

The windy conditions made the race challenging. “I can’t even hold my phone now, fingers have become numb, legs are destroyed. But it’s all worth it. You get to go to the Olympics,” Vishnu said.

Vishnu could not qualify from the Asian Championships in Thailand in December and he took the setback in his stride. “Setbacks are always nice to have. It kept me focused,” he said. “All the top-10 finishers here were in their 30s, more than 10 years older than me. I can learn from their experience. It’s good for me,” he added.

At Tokyo Olympics, Vishnu competed in the men’s laser category and finished 20th in a field of 35. Vishnu hopes to make it to the finals at the Paris Olympics, while the ultimate target is to get a medal at Los Angeles 2028.

“In reality, a top-15 finish will be my goal, but if I make the top-10 and reach the medal race it will be very good. I know how difficult it is going to be. Let’s see how it goes,” he said. “For me, 2028 is the real chance where I can win an Olympics medal. I have age on my side and will have time to improve,” he added.

Sailing may not be a followed sport in the country but he believes that it can be made popular by winning a medal. The sport requires heavy investment, something he could afford because his father Ramachandran Saravanan is a retired Army officer and former sailor.

After being initially coached by Alex Dennishook, Vishnu has been trained by Milan Vujasinovic under TOPS for the last two years. “I hope I can be the one who can inspire a generation,” he said.