13-year-old swimmer Gaurika Singh wins 100m backstroke heat
Nepal’s Gaurika Singh takes first place in her 100-meter backstroke
Born in Nepal but based in London since 2004, Gaurika already holds seven national swimming records in her home country.
The daughter of a doctor, Gaurika has been training for the last four years at the Barnet Copthall Swimming Club in north-west London and is part of a team of seven representing Nepal in Rio.
She started competing in the national level swimming competition at the age of 11 during 19th National Swimming Championship two years back.
Gaurika Singh, the 13-year-old Nepalese swimmer won the first heat of the women’s 100m backstroke event at the Olympics Aquatics Stadium in Rio De on Sunday as the youngest athlete in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
Gaurika who turned 13 years and 255 days on Sunday clocked 1 minute 8.45 second and failed to beat her own national record. She holds the national record of 1 minute 7.31 second in the event set during the 12th South Asian Games in February.
Gaurika Singh! 🙌#Rio2016's youngest athlete (13rs 255 days) wins her 100m backstroke heat https://t.co/FDf4FOrnm1 pic.twitter.com/tklSgj4hTw
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 7, 2016
In overall she finished in the 31stposition out of 34 competitors in the event. She was drawn along with Rita Zeqiri of Kosovo and Evelina Afoa of Samoa in heat one. Kathleen Baker of United States of heat four topped the overall heats with timing of 58.84 second.Only top 16 finishers out of 34 competitors made to the second rounds of heat.
Gaurika lagged behind at the completion of 50 m in the heat one. But she managed to come ahead of two competitors at the end of 100 m. Evelina of Samoa came behind Gaurika clocking 1 minute 8.74 second.
Gaurika, who lives in London with her family, was in limelight in the Olympics as the youngest player among 10,000 plus athletes in Rio. She holds 10 national records under her belt including seven individual. She has set the national records for 30 times.
In February, Gaurika became the first Nepali swimmer to break the country’s individual medal drought in international swimming during the 12th South Asian Games as she raked up four medals. She claimed silver in 200 m individual medley and bronze medals in 200 m and 100 m backstroke events and 400 m freestyle.
Gaurika has been training at Copthall Swimming Club, London, under coaches Rhys Gormley and Christine Green.
She has also competed in FINA World Championship in Kazan, Russia and FINA Swimming World Cup in Dubai last year.
There is no minimum age for time-qualified swimmers at the Olympics. The youngest Olympic medallist to date is Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras who competed in Athens games in 1896. He won a bronze medal in a team event, aged 10 years and 218 days.
Nepal made its debut at the Olympic Games in 1964, and has sent teams in the past for taekwondo, judo, swimming, and shooting. The country is still chasing its first medal.
you made us proud again #GaurikaSingh #RioOlympics2016
👍👍👍😆😆😆 pic.twitter.com/kBlEMZ1WiH— iklash (@iklash) August 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/KC_Prasanna/status/762317134542147585
Congratulations #GaurikaSingh
You made proud to all the Nepalese. #RioOlympics2016 #Swimming #Nepal #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/1doFl9ZocD
— Dinesh Panday (@dineshpanday) August 7, 2016
