Tirthank Pegu wins 200m butterfly bronze for India at Youth Olympic Games in Dakar

Tirthank Pegu, a 17-year-old from Assam, won bronze in the boys' 200m butterfly at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal on November 09, 2026.

Pegu recorded a time of 2:01.25 in the final after advancing from the heats as the fastest qualifier. He had narrowly missed a medal in the 100m earlier in the meet, finishing fourth in 54.98 seconds — 0.27 seconds behind the last podium finisher — a result that left him jittery before the 200m. He began swimming at the age of four.

“I was really nervous and not so confident because of the result in 100m. I was worried, ‘what if I disappoint my coach, Sandeep [Sejwal] sir, and everybody?’ During the race, I was just thinking about winning a medal,” Pegu said on Monday.

“It was my dream to win a medal at the Youth Olympics. My coach and I worked for this particular competition the whole year. So I am feeling really good right now,” he said.

“My main goal is to qualify for the final in the Olympics. I have been wishing for this from a very young age”