Dhinidhi Desinghu won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games on November 2, becoming the first Indian swimmer to claim a medal at the event. World Aquatics records her time as 56.27 seconds in the 50-metre pool.
The 16-year-old improved on her own national record of 56.57 seconds, set at the Indian championships in June, The Indian Express reported. Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic won gold and New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson took silver.
Desinghu had qualified for the final after winning her heat in 56.80 seconds, the third-fastest time overall. In the medal race, she was fifth at the halfway point before a strong second length carried her into third place.
The result also opened India’s medal account at the Dakar Games, according to the newspaper. Speaking after the race, Desinghu said her focus had been on improving her personal best. She is also scheduled to contest the 200m individual medley and 200m freestyle later in the week.
Archive illustration: Montreal’s Olympic Pool, photographed in June 2019. This is not the Dakar 2026 venue or Dhinidhi Desinghu’s medal race. Photo: Dennis Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0.
