In 2012 in London, shuttler Saina Nehwal went where no Indian had gone before. She become India's first badminton Olympic medallist, and only the second Indian woman to stand on the podium, after winning the bronze in the women's singles event.
Four years later she heads to Rio, with even bigger dreams. Among the most consistent badminton stars of her time, Nehwal has her eyes set on something bigger this time – a gold or silver. And she's keeping no stone unturned in her preparations.
The official Twitter account of the Badminton Association of India recently tweeted a short video of the scale of Nehwal's preparation for the mega-event.
Believe it or not, Nehwal single-handedly practises against four men across the net. And what is even more impressive is that throughout the entire 40 seconds in the video above, she misses not a shot, returning and retrieving everything they throw at her.
Having won the Australian Open in June 2016, the 2012 bronze medallist is in great form in the run-up to the Rio Olympics. And considering the intensity of her training, few would bet against her going one step higher.
