Even before she sets foot in Paris, Dhinidhi Desinghu has already achieved a remarkable distinction. At just 14 years old, this budding swimmer from Bengaluru will be the youngest athlete in the Indian contingent for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Desinghu is slated to compete in the women’s 200m freestyle event, making her the second youngest Indian Olympian in history when she dives into the pool at the Paris La Defense Arena on July 28. The record for the youngest Indian Olympic is held by Aarti Saha, who competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics at the age of 11.
She is the youngest and will be joined by Rohan Bopanna who is 44 years making the age difference of 30 years.
"I am thrilled and just waiting for the day to come," said Desinghu, a IX grade student from Kendriya Vidyalaya, student from DRDO, Bengaluru.
"We are not looking for her to win medals, we just want her to do well," said her mother Jasitha.
With no Indian swimmer meeting the A or B qualification times for the Paris Games, Desinghu was awarded the Universality quota by the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission, alongside the experienced Srihari Nataraj.
Despite not securing a direct quota, Desinghu's age and distinctive technique have marked her as a promising talent.
“She is one of the very few in India to swim with the straight arm technique,” said Nihar Ameen, one of India’s most decorated swimming coaches who has been guiding Desinghu at the Dolphin Aquatics academy in Bengaluru. “Coach BM Madhukumar has put in a lot of work to ensure Dhinidhi adapts to new changes quickly.”
A fan of American seven-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky, Desinghu began swimming at the age of eight. She quickly made a name for herself in state-level competitions and joined Ameen’s Dolphin Aquatics in 2019.
“Within six months of joining, Desinghu started breaking age group national records,” said Ameen, a Dronacharya awardee. “She has since gone from strength to strength.”
Though still a ninth-grade student, Desinghu is no stranger to world-class competitions or multi-sport events. She was part of the Indian contingent at the delayed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and competed at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha earlier this year.
“She has swum at the World Championships and Asian Games,” said Ameen. “I don’t think the Olympics are going to be any different. The Olympics are all about the build-up and the media hype. But once she is in the pool, it’s all about what she does best – swimming.”
Over the past year, Desinghu has established herself as the best Indian swimmer in the women’s section. She clinched the women’s 200m freestyle title – her event for the Paris Olympics – at the 2023 National Aquatics Championships with a national record time of 2:04.24s in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
