Vishnu Saravanan hopes to create exciting entertainment for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Saravanan’s father, a former army veteran, instilled in him a love of sailing. At the age of nine, he had first-hand experience at the Army Yachting Node in Mumbai. Later, the Madras Engineers Group Boys Sports Company helped him refine his skills.
In 2016, the bronze winner from the Asian Games won the title of young national champion and won silver in a series held in Hong Kong. The 24-year-old began serving in the Indian Army in 2017 as a Naib Subedar. A year later, he won his first senior national championship and worked with Olympian Alexandr Denisiuc in Malta to further develop his talents.
In Tokyo, I was a little too bold. I just said, “Well, this is my first Olympics.” The outcome isn’t really important to me. I just want to sail as hard as I can and see where it takes me. And I performed well,” Vishnu said, thinking back on his performance in the prior event.
24 years old
Activities/Sports: Men’s Sailing
2020 Tokyo Olympics were the first Olympic Games.
Principal Accomplishments:
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: 20th place
26th place in the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship (2024)
Eleventh place in the 2024 Last Chance Regatta
30th place in the World Cup Series (2024) and the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia
2022 Asian Games: Bronze Medal
2024 Europa Cup: Gold Medal
Fourth place in the Asian Sailing Championship (2023)
Silver Medal at the Asian Sailing Championship (2021)
2019 U-21 World Championship: Bronze
In January, in the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship 2024 in Australia, Vishnu won the sailing gold medal, India’s first to compete in the Paris Olympics. Although Vishnu finished 26th overall with 125 net points, he was seventh among the sailors who qualified for quotas in the next Olympics. Matthew Wearn of Australia took home the victory with 24.0 net points. Hermann Tomasgaard of Norway finished in second place with a score of 34.0.
Vishnu competed in the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship earlier this year in one of his most recent appearances. Looking at the overall rankings, the Indian sailor was ranked 26th. Among the sailors who may gain quotas for the 2024 Olympics, he was ranked sixth.
Thursday, August 1st: Sailing — Men’s and Women’s Dinghy Races 1–10
