It’s a perception that overwhelmed gymnast Pranati Nayak – the 29-year-old vaulter – and silently gnawed at her confidence, before she seemed to have resolved it in her mind this year. Pranati – without naming Dipa Karmakar ever – is always at pains to convince the world that she is a competent gymnast in her own right, though since both specialise in the same event, Indians expect her to fill the big shoes of the Rio Olympics fourth-place finisher, who is now retired. However, there is no question of comparing the two, both of whom have battled their own challenges. Pranati qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, but faded out with a sub-par performance. It brought her jibes from her fraternity, and reduced her to a loner who hid her tears even from her parents. Story continues below this ad Double World Cup vault medallist gymnast Pranati Nayak. (Special arrangement) Pranati wakes up each morning, and goes about her training, having shifted base from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar, where she has no friends or comfort of familiarity. …