Vedaant Madhavan is already hailed as Indian swimming’s next big prospect. The 16-year-old has been making all the right noises since winning his first international medal in 2018. (More Sports News)
Born to celebrated Indian actor R Madhavan and his wife Sarita Birje, Vedaant bettered his personal mark to win the gold medal in the men's 800m freestyle at the Danish Open in Copenhagen on Sunday.
All you need to know about the fast-rising Indian swimmer:
Vedaant Madhavan was born on August 21, 2005.
Unlike other star kids, Vedaant Madhavan likes to chart his own course. And the teenager has already found his calling in aquatics.
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And he is an avid animal lover.
He reportedly developed an interest in swimming as a student at the Universal American School in Dubai.
Vedaant Madhavan then learnt the sport at Goregaon Sports Club, Mumbai.
He was a part of the Glenmark Aquatic Foundation programme in 2017.
Vedaant's first breakthrough came at Thailand Age Group Championship 2018. He won a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle event.
He was a part of the Indian quartet that won a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay for Group II boys at the Asian Age Group Swimming Championship 2019.
He also won a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2020, Guwahati.
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In 2021, he won 1500m freestyle bronze at the Latvia Open international meet. The same year, he produced seven podium finishes at the Junior National Aquatic Championships.
It's widely reported that Vedaant’s tally at the junior nationals included silvers in 800m freestyle, 1500 freestyle, 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×200 freestyle relay and bronze medals in 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle.
In 2021, he finished third in men’s 1500m and 800m freestyle events at the senior nationals. He also finished fourth in the 4x200m relay.
Before Sunday's gold, he won the silver medal in the 1500m freestyle event on Friday.
His ultimate goal is to win medals for India at the Olympics. In fact, he has shifted his training base to Dubai to fulfill the dream.
Vedaant Madhavan won the PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) Compassionate Kid Award at the age of nine for rescuing animals in need.
