On 2 November 2026, 16-year-old Dhinidhi Desinghu won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. She became the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the event.
Swimming records and results
Desinghu clocked 56.27 seconds, setting a national record and improving on her previous mark of 56.57 seconds, set at the Senior National Championships in June. Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic won gold in 55.89 seconds, while New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson took silver in 56.13 seconds.
Desinghu had topped her heat in 56.80 seconds, becoming the first Indian female swimmer to reach a Youth Olympics final. The 100m freestyle is not her main event: she holds the national women’s 200m freestyle record of 2:01.81, set at the Asian Age Group Championships in July. She was the youngest member of India’s contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics, aged 14.
India’s judo medal
Also on 2 November, 15-year-old Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won silver in the women’s 63kg judo category. She became India’s second Youth Olympics judo medallist after Thangjam Tababi Devi, who won silver in the 44kg category in 2018.
Important Facts for Exams
- Age cutoff: Youth Olympic Games age eligibility is determined by an athlete’s age on 31 December of the competition year.
- Universality places: Youth Olympic universality places reserve event slots for athletes from under-represented nations, irrespective of qualifying marks.
- Adapted team sports: Youth Olympic team sports use adapted formats, including 3×3 basketball, futsal and beach handball instead of their standard versions.
