Dhinidhi Desinghu Wins Bronze in Women's 100 m Freestyle at Youth Olympics
India has a medal at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. Dhinidhi Desinghu won bronze in the women's 100 m freestyle on 2 November. She clocked 56.27 seconds, a new Indian national record. Croatia's Ana Bobanović won the gold medal. New Zealand's Alyssa Lawson took silver. The bronze was India's first medal at the Games.
Here is the full podium for the event.
- Gold: Ana Bobanović (Croatia), 55.89 seconds
- Silver: Alyssa Lawson (New Zealand), 56.13 seconds
- Bronze: Dhinidhi Desinghu (India), 56.27 seconds
Desinghu finished 0.14 seconds behind Lawson and 0.38 seconds behind Bobanović. It was a close final. She had topped her own heat earlier in the day in 56.80 seconds. That was the third-fastest heat time overall. It also made her the first Indian woman to reach a swimming final at the Youth Olympic Games.
The medal is a landmark for Indian swimming. Desinghu is the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games. She is a 16-year-old from Bengaluru. She was the youngest member of India's squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she swam the 200 m freestyle. She also holds the national record in the 400 m freestyle. Her Dakar swim improves the 100 m freestyle national mark she set earlier this season at the Senior National Aquatic Championships.
Bobanović's win gives Croatia 1 gold and 1 silver on the medal table. Lawson's silver gives New Zealand 1 gold and 1 silver as well. Both countries now have 2 medals each. Desinghu's bronze puts India on the board with 1 medal.
India sent a 35-member contingent to Dakar, including 17 athletes. Om Prakash Karhana leads the group as chef de mission. The Youth Olympic Games are for athletes aged 15 to 18. Dakar 2026 is the fourth Summer edition. It is the first time the Games have come to Africa. In all, 25 sports are on the programme.
On the overall table, Russia leads with 2 golds. Both of those came in the pool. The Games run until 13 November, so more medal events are still to come in swimming and the other disciplines.