Gymnast Pranati Nayak's Paris Olympics aspiration via Hangzhou Asian Games

As the Asian Games kicked off with grandeur at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Pranati Nayak, India's sole gymnast, remained focused on her training in the practice hall. Despite being the only Indian gymnast among a contingent of 655 athletes, Nayak's spirit remains undiminished as she aspires to secure her place in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

While the Asian Games hold great significance, they do not offer Olympic qualification opportunities. Nayak's coach, Ashok Kumar Mishra, expressed their larger goal of qualifying for the Paris Games. To achieve this, Nayak must participate in at least three of the four 2024 World Cup Series events scheduled between January and March next year. The scores from her top three performances will determine her qualification prospects. These World Cup series events will allocate two quotas per gender for each gymnastic apparatus.

The Path to Paris

The qualification process for the Paris Olympics began in October 2022. Major competitions like the World Championships in 2022 and 2023 played a crucial role in identifying most of the 192 artistic gymnastics athletes (96 men and 96 women) who will compete in Paris.

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Coach Mishra acknowledges the significance of the Asian Games as a platform for preparation and building confidence. They anticipate tough competition from countries like China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Nayak's strong preparation

Pranati Nayak arrives at her third consecutive Asian Games after securing a bronze medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Szombathely, Hungary. This victory, especially in the qualification round against compatriot Dipa Karmakar, has bolstered her confidence. She is focused on excelling in her favorite event, vault, and is determined to deliver a medal-winning performance.

Nayak is injury-free and has concentrated on perfecting her landing technique, recognizing its crucial role in gymnastics scoring. She is only the second Indian woman gymnast to participate in the Olympics, with Dipa Karmakar being the first.

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In the upcoming competition, Nayak's primary emphasis will be on her vault performance. She is set to perform the Tsukahara backward 360 and Forward Handspring 360 vaults in the qualification round, with the possibility of attempting the more challenging Tsukahara 720 in the final if she advances.

The women's artistic gymnastics qualification is scheduled for Monday, with the final slated for September 28.