Srihari achieved the Olympics B qualification standard in 100m backstroke at the FINA World Junior Championships in 2019 with a national mark of 54.69s. Srihari Nataraj did not dive into a pool for five months last year. There was a time when the youngster was pleading with authorities to open the swimming pools, at least for those preparing for Tokyo Olympics qualification, as he saw training restart in most other sports post lockdown. What he has been aiming for is the A qualification timing of 53.85s which will give him a direct entry into Tokyo. The fact that no Indian swimmer has ever achieved an ‘A’ qualification timing for the Olympics shows the enormity of the job at hand. But the 20-year-old from Bengaluru--one of the most talented swimmers India has ever seen–knows his potential. Listen to him on the Podcast Guts Glory Gumption – The voice of Indian Sports with Rica Roy on the RedFM India App