BENGALURU, July 24: Shivani Kataria, only the third Indian woman swimmer to qualify for the Olympics, aspires to finish high in 200m freestyle at the Rio Games, starting next month.
�I have been selected for Rio, and my aim is to finish high in 200m freestyle,� she told PTI in a telephonic interview.
Shivani hopes that her participation at Rio would inspire other girls to take up the sport and pursue it professionally.
�I realised I was the first female swimmer since 2004 to represent India at the Olympics. I want to use this opportunity to motivate and encourage more girls to take up the sport and pursue it professionally.
�India has a lot of talent and I believe that any female swimmer�s success would motivate other girls who might be afraid to try swimming,� she said.
On her training stint in Phuket, Shivani said she learnt a number of new techniques and trained alongside swimmers from around the world.
�I trained real hard in Phuket, used to swim triple sessions some times. I had dropped out of school just to focus on the Olympics. I also learnt many new techniques and got to train with so many swimmers from around the world, which was an amazing experience,� she said. � PTI
