How YouTube, anime helped Srihari Nataraj overcome heats blip and win 3 medals at 2025 Asian Aquatics C'ships

On Sunday at the newly inaugurated Veer Savarkar Sports Complex here, Srihari Nataraj put all those questions to rest.

In less than two-and-a-half hours, Nataraj bagged three medals. The 16-year wait not only ended but buried deep in the pool.

Allotted lane 1 in the first swimming final of the 2025 Asian Aquatics Championships after an underwhelming display in the heats, Nataraj was quick off the blocks – possibly one of the quickest overall.

The two-time Olympian built on that early advantage, winning the silver medal in men’s 200m freestyle after four laps. He was second after the first 50m, he stayed second at 200m. There was no challenge.

The timing of 1:48.47s, though not his best, was more than enough to lift a packed swimming pool arena to their feet.

“The morning did not go according to plan,” said Nihar Ameen, the Indian national coach, in a chat with The Bridge after his ward’s medal win.

“He should not have swam in lane 1 [in the final]. He was slower than he should have been in the heats. But it was good that he could pull it off,” the coach added.

Just over an hour later, Nataraj was on the starting blocks once again. The earlier medal notwithstanding, the 24-year-old clocked 25.46s to clinch yet another silver – this time in men’s 50m backstroke.

The timing still wasn’t his best, but it didn’t really matter. Two medals in two different strokes just 60 minutes apart was enough to propel him into history books.

If it wasn’t enough, Nataraj once again returned to lead India to a bronze medal in men’s 4x100m medley relay. The hosts trailed in the fourth position when Nataraj was called into action.

Swimming the freestyle anchor leg, he dragged India to the podium. The quartet also which included Rishabh Das, Likith Selvaraj Prema, and Rohit Benedicton clocked 3:40.87s.

“This is probably my first major international medal,” a relieved Nataraj claimed after ending India’s medal drought in the continental competition.

“I’ve finished fifth and sixth at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics, World Juniors…every single major international tournament I’ve been to I’ve come fifth or sixth. So, this is a big medal for me,” he added with a chuckle.

Youtube, Anime to the rescue

Much like the coach, Nataraj was quick to admit that he wasn’t at his best in the heats and it threw him off his game a bit.

“The goal was just to make it to the finals because I’ve a lot of events and we didn’t want to put in any effort. But I swam a slow time and it felt a little more tiring than it should have,” he said.

“A lot of factors came into play. I was up at 5am. We generally don’t swim tournaments so early but I understand the logistical issues due to which we had to start early. Also, probably because it’s a Sunday. On Sundays we are used to waking up late and lazing around.

“I like to start off a meet with a good heat swim, where I am the top seed or top three going into the final. So finishing seventh here threw me off quite a bit,” he further added.

But then how did Nataraj manage to turn it around in the evening during the finals?

“Going into the finals, I just stepped away from swimming and focused on everything else that I could do,” he said.

“I was just sitting and watching YouTube in the afternoon. Just put on some anime, chilling and having fun. Then I came here and just focused on the process and didn’t really bother much about the race,” he added.

On a Sunday evening when Ahmedabad thronged the stands, Nataraj delivered. It weren’t those graceful dance moves you usually associate with the name, but strokes so mighty India would recall years down the line.