Journalism of Courage
Having taken a stroll around the track he will soon find himself zipping down in a sled at more than 100 km/h, Shiva Keshavan is certain records will tumble in the luge event at the Sochi Winter Olympics. Speaking to The Indian Express hours after reaching the Olympic village in Sochi, the veteran of four Olympics said he had hoped to compete under the Indian flag but that does not seem like a possibility.
He has put that and a tough start to the year behind him, and now aims to finish in the top-20 in Sochi on a course made to handle speed safely.
“Top 20 will be good. This year has been tough with the changes in equipment and the thought of not being able to participate under the national flag. I have gone back to my previous equipment that suits me better,” he says. “After the Vancouver Olympics, when a luger suffered a fatal crash, this one has precautions built into it. It is fast but has three uphill sections to manage speed. Records will fall.”
Shiva attributes the difference between him and the top guys mainly to the technology and places his situation in context. “My driving is comparable to the rest but the fractions of a second are down especially to equipment. It takes a dedicated team years to develop it,” he says.
With the Germans being supported by Porsche earlier, just as BMW is doing now —Shiva knows working in his garage puts him at a competitive disadvantage.
“Tying up with large industrial houses and corporates in India is the way to go in developing better technology and more funds for athletes,” he says.
As an Olympic veteran, Shiva knows the dynamics in the village better than most Indian athletes.
“The Olympic village is a community of athletes. Athletes from countries that are at odds with each other tend to bond more,” he says.
Shiva says there are multiple security layers around the Olympic village and venues. “There is always a lot of security at the Winter Olympics as a big event attracts worldwide attention. Getting into the Games village takes time but once inside, there is no visible security cover,” he says Shiva is open to crowdfunding his way to the Olympics — the Jamaican bobsled team raised $16,000 in this way to make it to Sochi.
He admits to being lucky to have been supported by international federations in his journey but is working to find a more sustainable way for athletes.
The low awareness for luge means Shiva’s sponsor MTS has decided to initiate a public movement to drive support for him in the run up to the games.Titled #IndiaForShiva, the crowdsourcing campaign is pivoted around Twitter to get people to send in their wishes, support and cheers for Shiva. Those who have sent in their wishes have their signature printed on his suit.
Now in his 17th year of international competition, Shiva, a veteran of five Olympics has no plans of slowing down. “The guys at the top of my sport are ten years older than I am. I know I have a few Olympics in me yet,” he signs off.
