Tyro to pool tyrant

15 years after first title,Richa continues to dominate.

15 years after first title,Richa continues to dominate.

If one puts together the fact that she has just won five gold medals at the swimming nationals,the best woman swimmer award at the same event held at Pune last week and the fact that she doesnt have any competitions lined up for the next few months,one would assume Richa Mishra to be taking things a bit easy. Rest,however,is the last thing on Mishras mind as she dutifully puts in her quota of twice a day training sessions,alternating between the Talkatora Stadium pool and the one at DPS RK Puram.

But perhaps it is this very same dedication that won Mishra,28,the best woman swimmer title at Pune,her seventh consecutive title at the nationals and her tenth overall. The tally could have been even higher but for the fact that for several years in the early 2000s she had to miss the nationals while on national duty. While this can be viewed either as proof of her dominance in the water or proof as to the lack of competition she faces,Mishra,who represents Police,insists she hasnt ever got things easily.

I have always been pushed hard in every year I have participated. In each competition,there have been new challengers who keep coming up. In 1996 when I won my first title,I was only 13. At that point of time everyone was expecting Nisha Millet to win. But somehow,I managed to take the win from her. Nobody expected it,least of all me. Even this year,Arti Ghorpade was leading the 200m backstroke. If I had lost I would not have been able to retain my title but I was able to overtake her in the last 40m, she says.

One consequence of Mishras winning streak is that a lot of competitors come up to her for advice. It used to be mostly about diet and training but now there is a lot of knowledge about these things. Now the most frequent question I am asked is how to compete in several events, says Mishra who won golds in the 200m backstroke,400m,800m and 1500m freestyle.

And while Mishra tries to answer most requests,she admits it gets irritating at times. At the swimming nationals,I was just about to start one of my races when a girl came up to me and started asking me about something. But at the same time you cant just brush them off,because people start saying that you have an ego, she says. Those problems wont go away when she hits the pool at the Talkatora stadium. Even though she is allotted a lane to herself,her sessions are often interrupted by middle aged women in swimming floats,who paddle alongside and ask her for tips.

And while such moments continue to irk her she simply smiles and carries on. There are still so many things I want to do. I may be 28 and people may say I have achieved all I could have but I still think I can increase my performance. I still think I can win more titles, she says.