Virdhawal Khade interview: "There is a good chance of me making multiple podium finishes in London"

Virdhawal Khade was only 16 years old when he qualified for the Beijing Olympics, in the process becoming the youngest Indian swimmer to ever do so. Having completely dominated the Indian swimming scene in the past four years, he has yet again qualified for the Olympics, this time in London. In the best shape and form possible right now, Khade will lead the Indian swimming contingent at the London Olympics and he is aiming to secure a place on the podium at the Games. This young prodigy, who is also an Arjuna Awardee, spoke to Sportskeeda correspondent Taruka Srivastav in an exclusive interview:

Q. You must be ecstatic about qualifying for the Olympics. Has the feeling sunk in as yet?

Khade: Well, yes, it has. I was at the Olympics in 2008 as well and I realized then that it wasn’t that tough to qualify for the Olympics. I always knew I would make it to the London Games.

Q. You created history when you won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games. Do you think you can repeat the feat at the Olympics and get a podium finish?

Khade: That’s the plan. I don’t see any reason why that is not possible. I am training really well and there is a good chance of me making multiple podium finishes.

Q. What made you pursue a career in swimming?

Khade: It wasn’t my first choice, to be honest. I got into swimming on an impulse and I just stuck with it. Eventually I got really good at it and before I knew it, it had become my career.

Q. Tell us about your family background a bit. Did you face any sort of problems which might have discouraged you to swim early in your career?

Khade: My father used to be a basketball player. There were financial problems in my house at one point. But since I made it to the Olympics we have been pretty OK. That said, I want to make things much better, and I will never stop trying to do that.

Q. You performed really well in Singapore and at the Malaysian Open. Would you say your performances at those events have made you mentally and physically prepared for the Games?

Khade: I was, frankly, very surprised with my performances in Singapore and Malaysia. I am usually a slow starter, and my results are normally not very strong at the beginning of the season. But this year I have done faster than my last year’s swims, which is a huge boost to my confidence. I think i am in really good shape and should be able to preform better in London than I did at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Q. What are the things you focus on when you swim?

Khade: I focus on winning, and nothing else. I also keep experimenting with new things, in terms of technique, that can make me go faster. At the end of it all, I just keep trying to improve and do better than my coach’s and my own expectations.

Q. The whole world knows about the crazy diet followed by Michael Phelps during the Beijing Games. Do you also follow some kind of a similar diet?

Khade: I don’t know why they call Phelps’s diet crazy. He trains so much that he needs to eat a lot to keep with the demands of his body. If I was training like him I am pretty sure I would be eating that way too. But I’m a sprinter and I don’t train as much as he does so I just eat the required amount to make sure I am 100% fit in every workout.

Q. Which is your personal favourite event?

Khade: My favourite event keeps changing every year. This year I have set my eyes on the 200 freestyle and I’m hoping to do really well in it!