Rio de Janeiro, August 2

Nepali swimmer Gaurika Singh, already a seasoned international competitor at 13, is poised to become the youngest Olympian in Rio when she hits the water in the 100m backstroke heats on Sunday.

“That’s quite cool, a bit unreal, too,” said Singh, who will be 13 years and 255 days old. It’s not surprising the London-based schoolgirl, who swims for English club Barnet Copthall, is undaunted by the prospect.

“It’s unbelievable that she’s the youngest Olympian in Rio and amazing how she copes with all the pressure,” said her father, Paras, who will be in Rio to cheer on the precocious star, who will be aiming to improve her own national record of 1min 07.31sec in the 100m back in Rio.