Nethra Kumanan secures India’s second Paris Olympics quota in sailing

Nethra Kumanan on Friday secured India’s second Paris Olympics quota in sailing, claiming it under the Emerging Nations Program banner at the Last Chance Regatta, an Olympic qualifier, in Hyeres, France.

Nethra, who has competed in the Tokyo Games three years ago, was competing in the women’s dinghy (ILCA 6).

Nethra managed 67 net points to finish fifth on the overall leaderboard. However, she secured the Olympic quota as the top performer among sailors from the Emerging Nations Program (ENP) who had not yet obtained a quota.

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World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport, aims to help athletes from less well-known sailing nations make an impact at the top level through its ENP programme.

The top three sailors first secured the Olympic quotas in the women’s dinghy – Romania’s Ebru Bolat (36 net points), Marilena Makri of Cyprus (37 net points) and Slovenia’s Lin Pletikos (54 net points).

Six-time Olympian Tatiana Drozdovskaya (59 net points), competing as an individual neutral athlete, came fourth and missed out.

The Last Chance Regatta is the final qualifying event in sailing for the Paris 2024 Olympics.