Desinghu secures second bronze in girls' 200m to complete historic Youth Olympic double

Dhinidhi Desinghu completed a historic double at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on November 6, 2026, winning bronze in the girls' 200m freestyle to add to the bronze she claimed in the 100m freestyle. The 16-year-old recorded a time of 2:02.28 in the 200m final.

Her second podium made her the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals in individual events at the competition. Desinghu's initial medal in the 100m freestyle had been the first Youth Olympic Games swimming medal for India. The 200m freestyle was always going to be the bigger test for Desinghu.

China's Chang Mohan claimed gold in 1:59.59. Croatia's Ana Bobanovic took silver in 2:01.17. Desinghu maintained third place in the closing stages to secure bronze.

After her first medal in the 100m freestyle, coach Nihar Ameen had underlined in an earlier interview with IndiaToday that the shorter distance was not her main event. He had been looking towards the 200m freestyle. He hoped the confidence from her first podium finish would carry into the race.

Desinghu's personal best stood at 2:01.81, set at the 12th Asian Age Group Championships 2026. That was the event where she won gold in the 50m pool event. Her Dakar timing left her 0.47 seconds short of that mark.

Desinghu leaves Dakar with two medals and a place in Indian sporting history. The double bronze has given Indian swimming a significant moment on the Youth Olympic stage and underlined her potential in the pool.