The 16-year-old Indian swimmer has made headlines after winning two bronze medals at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games 2026She also represented India at the Paris Olympics 2024.
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Who Is Dhinidhi Desinghu? India’s young swimming star wins two bronze medals at Youth Olympics 2026
India’s young swimmers continued their impressive show at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games as Dhinidhi Desinghu and Tirthank Pegu added two more bronze medals to the country’s tally on FridayDesinghu secured her second medal at the competition with a third-place finish in the girls’ 200m freestyle, while Pegu won bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly event.
The two medals took India’s overall tally at the Games to sixDesinghu also created a special record by becoming the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals in individual events at the Youth Olympic Games.
Dhinidhi Desinghu Wins Second Bronze Medal At Youth Olympics
Desinghu clocked 2:02.28 in the girls’ 200m freestyle final to finish third and claim the bronze medalChina’s M Chang won the gold medal with a time of 1:59.59, while Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic secured silver after completing the race in 2:01.17.
The 16-year-old had already won bronze in the 100m freestyle event earlier in the competitionShe continued her strong performance in the pool and added another medal to her collection.
The 200m freestyle was Desinghu’s main event and she did not disappoint, making the podiumHer two-medal feat has added more luster to India’s presence in swimming at the international level.
Tirthank Pegu Becomes First Indian Male Swimmer To Win Youth Olympics Medal
India also celebrated another historic moment as Tirthank Pegu won bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly eventHe finished the race in 2:01.25 to become the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games.
Pegu had qualified for the final after finishing third in his heat with a timing of 2:05.30He then produced a better performance in the final to secure a place on the podium.
Colombia’s Nicolas Kokidko won the gold medal with a time of 2:04.14, while Egypt’s Zain Ali finished second to take silver in 2:04.31.
Pegu’s feat was another feather in India’s swimming cap as both Indian swimsuits produced memorable performances on the same day.
Who Is Dhinidhi Desinghu?
Dhinidhi Desinghu is one of India’s promising young swimming talentsShe specializes in the 200m freestyle swimShe was born on May 17, 2010 in KarnatakaShe also competes in the 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley.
Desinghu represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics after receiving a Universality Quota place in the women’s 200m freestyle eventAt the age of 14, she became the youngest athlete in the Indian contingent at the Paris Games.
She had also represented the country at the 2022 Asian Games, where she was India’s youngest athlete in the contingent.
Her latest double-medal performance at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games is another important step in her young careerAlong with Pegu’s historic bronze, it has given Indian swimming plenty of reasons to celebrate.
