Dhinidhi Desinghu wins first Indian swimming medal at Youth Olympics
The 16-year-old Bengaluru swimmer secured a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle with a new national record in Dakar.
Bengaluru swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu made history on Monday by becoming the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games. Competing in the 100m freestyle final in Dakar, the 16-year-old secured the bronze medal with a national record time of 56.27 seconds, according to reports by Hindustan Times, The Tribune and ANI.
Desinghu finished behind gold medallist Ana Bobanovic of Croatia, who clocked 55.89 seconds, and silver medallist Alyssa Lawson of New Zealand, who recorded 56.13 seconds. The teenager had previously become the first Indian female swimmer to reach a Youth Olympics final after topping her heat with a time of 56.80 seconds.
Coach Nihar Ameen told Hindustan Times that the performance puts Desinghu in a strong position for her primary event, the 200m freestyle. Desinghu, who was the youngest member of the Indian contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics, noted that the Youth Olympics felt more intense and serious than her previous Olympic experience.
In the same competition, 15-year-old judoka Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won a silver medal in the women's 63kg category. She lost the final to Germany's Jolina Reinhold, who secured the gold via an ippon.