New Delhi, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
From once being so frightened of water that she ran home in her swimsuit to winning an historic Youth Olympic medal, India’s Dhinidhi Desinghu has completed a remarkable journey by clinching bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The 16-year-old Bengaluru swimmer clocked a personal best of 56.27 seconds in Monday’s final to finish third behind Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic (55.89) and New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson (56.13). She also became the first Indian female swimmer to reach a final at the Youth Olympics.
Dhinidhi’s achievement is particularly striking given her early reluctance to enter a swimming pool. Recalling her first experiences with the sport, she told Olympics.com that at the age of six or seven, she once ran back home in her swimsuit because she hated being at the pool. Her parents had to get into the water themselves to persuade her to join them.
Initially introduced to swimming as a recreational activity, the sport gradually became a passion. Her competitive instincts eventually turned it into a serious pursuit.
At just 14, Dhinidhi represented India at the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the youngest member of the country’s contingent. She described the experience of sharing the pool and Olympic Village with leading international athletes as unforgettable.
Two years later, she arrived in Dakar with greater confidence. Her heat timing of 56.80 seconds was the third-fastest overall and took her into the final. She then improved by another 0.53 seconds to secure the bronze with a personal best.
Dhinidhi said her main target had been to improve her timing rather than focus on winning a medal. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that every competitive swimmer ultimately aims for gold.
Asked whom she would dedicate the medal to, she named her parents and herself, recognising the years of early mornings, demanding training sessions and personal sacrifices behind the achievement.
The young swimmer now hopes to use the success as a stepping stone towards an Olympic medal, an achievement no Indian swimmer has yet secured. She also wants her journey to encourage more girls to take up swimming and help raise the sport’s profile in India.
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