At the ‘Last Chance Regatta’ Olympic Qualifier in Herres, France, Nethra Kumnan secured India’s second Paris Olympic quota, marking a significant achievement for the nation.
Having previously competed in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Nethra clinched the quota while participating in the women’s dinghy (ALCA 6) event under the banner of the ‘Emerging Nations Programme’.
Despite ranking fifth overall with 67 net points, Nethra’s exceptional performance in the category designated for sailors under the ‘Emerging Nations Programme’ earned her the coveted Olympic quota. This initiative by World Sailing, the sport’s governing body, aims to support sailors from countries with limited participation in sailing.
In the women’s dinghy event, Olympic quotas were also secured by Romania’s Ebru Bolat (36 net points), Cyprus’ Marilena Makri (37 net points), and Slovenia’s Lin Platikos (54 net points), who claimed the top three spots, respectively. Notably, six-time Olympian Tatiana Drozdovskaya, competing as an individual neutral athlete, narrowly missed out on the quota, finishing fourth with 59 net points.
The ‘Last Chance Regatta’ serves as sailing’s final qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics, making Nethra’s achievement even more remarkable as she secures India’s representation in the prestigious sporting event.
