The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 in Ladakh is getting a taste of India's top skaters some of whom train and compete overseas. Pune girl Shruti Kotwal, who is the country's first professional ice speed skater, is all set to dazzle here at the Gupuks Pond in Leh. It will be a sweet home coming for the 32-year Shruti, who is India's fastest ice speed skater. In November 2022, Shruti broke the national record, clocking 42.21 seconds in a 500 metre race just two weeks before the AmCup 2022 (the American championship for skaters who achieve a high qualifying standard).
Shruti participated in the 2008 Winter Games in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, and in the past decade has represented India at several international tournaments. The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 will be her first national event after 15 years.
Kudos to the government for conducting a national-level event specially dedicated to winter sports. KIWG has given us athletes an opportunity to showcase our talent on national soil and I hope watching us will also inspire the next generation to take up speed skating," said Shruti, who starts her campaign in Leh on Monday.
Shruti is a long track speed skater. The Pune girl, like most Indian skaters started as a roller skater when she was 10 years old. She changed to ice skating to pursue her dream to play in the Olympics.
She holds the national record holder in long track speed skating over 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. Her career-best performances include gold medals in 500m, 1000m and 1500 m at the 2011 South Asian Winter Games. She is virtually undefeated at the national level and has five gold medals from various national championships.
In 2012, Shruti Kotwal received a scholarship from International Skating Union (ISU) to train at Kia Speed Skating academy in Germany which was her first international camp. Shruti's dreams have been well supported by her family.
At the Khelo India Winter Games 2024, Shruti will be participating in her pet 500 m race. With dreams of making the 2026 Winter Olympics, she trains in the US under coach Mitchell Whitmore, a three-time Olympian. Training with Olympians and top class international skaters has given Shruti a lot of conviction but there are hurdles to cross.
To qualify for long track speed skating in the Olympics one has to participate in an ISU affiliated competition in an Olympic size rink. The most important factor in long track speed skating is timing and to qualify for the Olympics one has to meet certain standards. Currently, the top long-track speed skaters come from the Netherlands and USA.
Shruti has enough international experience. She represented India in 2017 Asian Games in Japan, Asian championships in China and Kazakhstan. Her most recent international outing was the America (Am) Cup last tear.
"I am the first long track speed skater from India who is trying to qualify for the Olympics. My focus is on training, participating in more races and improving my timings to give my hundred percent and be ready for the 2026 Olympics," she said.
Shruti is happy to see quite a lot of changes in the winter sports sector in India, especially in ice skating. "When we started, there was just one rink in Shimla and now almost all states have a facility," she pointed out. Interestingly, several skaters now emerge from the plains.
"Although India is a tropical country, winter games athletes should train throughout the year so that when the season arrives they can give their best," Shruti signed off.