For Tamil Nadu Rio athletes, it is only a job half done

It was a packed year for athletes. International events weren’t at a premium and in between tournaments, the Tamil Nadu athletes packed their bags to Poland and Turkey for training. It has been almost a year that they even went home! While a medal in the event may be practically hard to achieve, Dharun promises to try and give his best. 

“I am elated and I have no words to express it. I wanted to qualify as the Olympics act as a benchmark in my discipline. I am proud that this has come after years of hard work. The real task starts now and we hope to be on the money in Rio,” Dharun said. 

Dharun, who initially started as a kho-kho player, holds many records in athletics and his medal count in various national, district and school-meets cross the three-figure mark. According to his coach, J. Alagesan, it is Dharun’s endurance that will take him places. 

“He is a strategist on the track. In the 400m race, the first 320m is easy while the last 80m is considered difficult. However, Dharun has strategised in such a way that the last 80 is not taxing. With the positive approach and stamina, the relay becomes an easy event for him to shine,” Alagesan added. 

However, for Arokia Rajiv, the big stage is not new. The athlete from Tiruchirappalli has been on the podium at the 2014 Incheon Games bagging the bronze medal in the 400m event. Rajiv said the team had been working on a single-point agenda. “We have the season’s best in the world right now. Although, we are six seconds behind the Olympic record of 2.54 min, we have the confidence to bag an Olympic medal,” he said. 

The 25-year-old runner said, the team is working on the finer points. “We realised that we are a touch slow during the baton exchange. Improving that can help us shave two seconds off our final timing,” Rajiv added. The team’s initial plan of travelling to Uruguay to get acclimatised to the conditions on offer at Rio had to be shelved due to the prevailing cold climatic conditions. “We will now head to Rio on the day the village is thrown open and start practising from the world go,” Rajiv said.