Ashish Kumar at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Image courtesy of IBN Live.
According to the article published on the Times of India website on the 12th of February, the Indian Olympic Association and the Gymnastics Federation of India have recommended their top Men's Artistic Gymnast Ashish Kumar for a wildcard entry to the Men's competition at the London Olympics. You can read the article in full here, but here is the most interesting points that Kumar told the Times of India:
"I missed by the pre-Olympic test standard mark by a slender margin. 80% was the cut-off mark to take part in the London pre-Olympic qualifier. I scored 79.30%."
Kumar blamed then - coach Vladimir Chertkov, saying "tough methods" hampered his performance in Tokyo. The team was introduced to a rigorous two-month stint in London as preparation for the Belgium World Cup, he said.
Soon after the team returned from Belgium, Kumar was asked to report to the camp, giving his body little time to rest and recover. "A gymnast needs at least 15-20 days' time to recover after a long training stint and tournaments. I was given just seven days and as a result I could not deliver the desired results in Tokyo," Kumar said.
