Dhinidhi Desinghu hated swimming. She has now made Youth Olympics history for India

There was a time when Dhinidhi Desinghu did not want to go anywhere near the pool. She hated being in the water, was afraid to put her head under water and tried to get her feet in the pool. Her mother, she recalled, sometimes pushed her inside.

On Monday, the 16-year-old native of Bengaluru stood on the podium at the Dakar Youth Olympics as he achieved something that no Indian swimmer has done before. Desinghu won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle, becoming the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the Olympics in both the senior and youth editions.

She touched the wall in 56.27 seconds, setting a new national record and bettering her own mark of 56.57 from the Indian Championships in Ahmedabad on June 18. Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic won gold in 55.89 seconds, while New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson took silver in 56.13.

The medal was secured with a strong finish. Desinghu was fifth at the half, completing the first 50 meters in 27.31 seconds. But she found a different gear in the second half, securing third place and claiming a place on the podium.

It was a remarkable turnaround for a swimmer who once found the sport difficult to embrace. In an interview with Olympics.com before the finals, Desinghu reflected on how her relationship with swimming has changed.

“My mom kind of pushed me to do it. Later, I liked the sport. I started loving it,” she said.

“It was so hard in the beginning. I hated it, honestly. I didn’t want to get in there. I hated being in the water. I hated heights. I just hated swimming.”

“As time went on, I started winning, I started making friends. That really helped me be the swimmer I am today.”

Olympic debut 14

Her journey was unusually fast. Desinghu was just 14 when she represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the youngest member of the country’s contingent. She competed in the women’s 200m freestyle, finishing 23rd overall, but described the experience as a learning opportunity rather than a chance to win.

“I was 14 when I went to the Olympics, and at the time it was just for the experience,” she told Olympics.com.

“Meeting all the amazing athletes, it’s the biggest competition in the world, so being there was really big. It opened my eyes to what opportunities are out there in the world.”

Two years later, her approach to the biggest stage available to junior swimmers was markedly different. She was no longer at Dakar just to soak up the atmosphere. She wanted to fight for a medal.

“Being here today, I’m pretty nervous, honestly, because these are the best juniors in the world. They’re going to be my competitors for the whole future. They’re going to compete against me neck and neck. It’s something I want to see happen,” she said.

“Compared to the Olympics, it’s a little more pressure. This, I’m taking it a lot more seriously. Paris was just an experience as a kid. But now I’m here to win. That kind of perspective is a little different for me now.”

Desinghu admitted that the pressure was hard to handle, but she learned to use her nerves rather than fight them. She also drew confidence from her ability to compete in hot conditions and from the familiarity of her favorite event.

“I’m trying not to take it too much into my head. I know I’m competing well in a really hot climate and I’m going to run my favorite race. That takes the pressure off a bit,” she said before the final.

Being nervous wasn’t necessarily a disadvantage for her. “Having the nerves helps a little bit. It’s like a little extra energy you have. I kind of take the nerves.”

That energy carried her into the final, where she had plenty to do after the opening 50 meters. Another indicator of her progress was the national record, but the medal gave meaning to the performance above the stopwatch.

Desinghu made her Olympic debut as a teenager but gave Indian swimming a breakthrough on the Olympic stage in Dakar. From a child who once hated water to a national record holder and youth Olympic medalist, her journey has now reached a historic milestone. A swimmer who once had to be coaxed into the pool has given India a reason to celebrate

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