Dhinidhi Desinghu is a 16-year-old swimmer from Bengaluru. She won two bronze medals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. She won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle in a national record time of 56.27 seconds. Then she won bronze in the 200m freestyle in 2:02.28. She is the first Indian athlete to win two individual medals at a single Youth Olympics. She is also the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympics.
01. Key takeaways
- Dhinidhi Desinghu, 16, from Bengaluru, won two bronze medals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics.
- 100m freestyle: bronze in 56.27 seconds, a new national record. First Indian swimming medal at the Youth Olympics.
- 200m freestyle: bronze in 2:02.28 on Friday, 7 November.
- She is the first Indian to win two individual medals at one Youth Olympics.
- She was India’s youngest athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, at the age of 14.
- She once feared water. She started swimming at the age of 7.
- India’s total at Dakar 2026: six medals so far — two silver and four bronze, with three in swimming.
Dhinidhi Desinghu is only 16. She has already made Indian swimming history twice in one week.
She won two bronze medals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. No Indian had done that before at the Youth Olympics. Not in any sport. Not in individual events.
02. The first medal
Her first medal came in the women’s 100m freestyle. She won bronze on Monday in 56.27 seconds. That was a new national record. Her old best was 56.57 seconds.
She finished behind Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic, who won gold in 55.89 seconds, and New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson, who took silver in 56.13 seconds. Dhinidhi was just 0.14 seconds behind Lawson.
It was India’s first-ever swimming medal at the Youth Olympics. It was also India’s first medal at the Dakar Games.
03. The second medal
Then, on Friday, 7 November, she did it again. She won bronze in the women’s 200m freestyle in 2:02.28.
China’s Chang Mohan won gold in 1:59.59. Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic took silver in 2:01.17. Dhinidhi was third.
With that, she became the first Indian athlete to win two individual medals at a single Youth Olympics. She is also the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympics, in any event.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya praised her. He said her double medal was historic for Indian swimming.
04. She was not always a swimmer
Here is the part that makes her story special. Dhinidhi once feared water. She did not like getting into a pool.
She started swimming at the age of 7. Slowly, the fear went away. The pool became her place.
She was India’s youngest athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She was 14 then. She went to Paris to learn. Two years later, she is winning medals and setting national records.
She wants more. She has said she wants to be like Saina Nehwal or Abhinav Bindra for swimming in India. That means she wants to be the swimmer who changes the sport in India.
05. India’s swimming is growing
Dhinidhi was not the only Indian swimmer to win a medal in Dakar. Tirthank Pegu won bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly in 2:01.25. He is the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympics.
India’s total at the Dakar Games so far is six medals — two silver and four bronze. Three of them are in swimming.
06. Why it matters
India has never been strong in swimming at the Olympics. For years, Indian swimmers went to the Games but did not win medals. Dhinidhi has changed that at the youth level.
She is 16. She has time. The next Olympics are in Los Angeles in 2028. If she keeps improving like this, she could be India’s first swimming star at the senior Olympics too.
For now, she has two bronze medals, a national record, and a place in history. That is a lot for a 16-year-old who once feared water.
07. Dhinidhi Desinghu in brief
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | 16 |
| From | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Event | Swimming — freestyle |
| 100m freestyle, Dakar 2026 | Bronze, 56.27 seconds (national record) |
| 200m freestyle, Dakar 2026 | Bronze, 2:02.28 |
| Firsts | First Indian swimmer to win a Youth Olympics medal; first Indian to win two individual medals at one Youth Olympics |
| Paris 2024 | India’s youngest athlete, at 14 |
| Started swimming | Age 7 |
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08. FAQs
Who is Dhinidhi Desinghu?
A 16-year-old swimmer from Bengaluru. She won two bronze medals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics, in the 100m and 200m freestyle.
What did she win at the Dakar Youth Olympics?
Bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle in a national record 56.27 seconds, and bronze in the 200m freestyle in 2:02.28.
Why is her win historic?
She is the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympics, and the first Indian athlete to win two individual medals at a single Youth Olympics.
Did she swim at the Paris Olympics?
Yes. She was India’s youngest athlete at Paris 2024, at the age of 14.
