Dhinidhi Desinghu wins bronze at Dakar Youth Olympics

Dhinidhi Desinghu won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, finishing in 56.27 seconds to claim what was reported as India’s first swimming medal at a Youth Olympics. The 16-year-old Indian swimmer placed third in the final. Ana Bobanovic of Croatia won gold in 55.89 seconds, while New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson took silver in 56.13. Desinghu’s time was her personal best, according to reports on the race. Desinghu had qualified for the final with a 56.80-second swim, reported as the third-fastest time overall. She improved by 0.53 seconds in the final. One report said she was fifth at the halfway point before moving into third place in the second half. The medal was also described as the first swimming medal for India at the Youth Olympics. Desinghu was reported to be the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at an Olympic event, including the senior and youth editions. She was also the first Indian female swimmer to reach a Youth Olympics final, according to reports. After the race, Desinghu said her priority in the final had been improving her time rather than winning a medal. She had competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics at age 14, where she...