'I was disappointed': Why Dhinidhi Desinghu isn't celebrating her Youth Olympics medal

Dhinidhi Desinghu

Dhinidhi Desinghu has created history for Indian swimming, but the 16-year-old is not entirely happy with her achievement. Her bronze medal in the women's 100m freestyle at the Youth Olympics in Dakar made her the first Indian swimmer to win a medal at the global event and opened India's medal account at the Games.

Yet, the teenager admits she had set her sights considerably higher.Dhinidhi wanted to break the 56-second barrier or win gold. Neither target was achieved, leaving her with mixed emotions despite the historic podium finish.

"On one side, the expectation I had for myself was very different. I wanted to go below 56 seconds, which didn't happen though I was close, or win a gold medal, which also didn't happen. In that way, I wasn't thrilled; I was actually kind of disappointed," she told PTI from Dakar.Her final time of 56.27 seconds was, however, a personal milestone. It improved her own Best Indian Time of 56.57, set earlier this year, and underlined her progress in the event.

'A very proud moment' for Indian swimming

While Dhinidhi was disappointed with not meeting her personal targets, she recognised the significance of her medal for a sport that has struggled for visibility and results in India, particularly in the women's category."But at the same time, bringing back the country's first medal.

You would expect it in a different sport...you wouldn't expect from a girl who is a swimmer because swimming is nowhere and women's swimming is even more behind. So that way it is a very proud moment," she said.The medal is a landmark for Indian swimming, but Dhinidhi's journey on the international stage began well before Dakar. At 14, she was the youngest member of India's contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics, having earned her place through the universality quota.However, she believes the Youth Olympics brought a different kind of competitive pressure."I didn't really think about it (being an Olympian). That's a much bigger meet. Like you're an Olympian already. So, you're coming to the Youth Olympics before the Olympics is like kind of funny. I didn't really think too much about the Olympics because I didn't really qualify. I was the best Indian. Yes, I got to go," she said.

More pressure in Dakar than at Paris Olympics

Dhinidhi explained that Paris was largely an opportunity to experience the biggest sporting stage, while Dakar offered a more direct test against swimmers she expects to face in the coming years."Here at the Youth Olympics, I'm competing against the exact people I will face in the future at the World Championships or World Juniors. Because of that, I actually had more expectation and pressure on myself to perform here than at the main Olympics. Paris was more for like the life experience of it and less of performance.

"Here obviously, we're looking at winning and doing well in terms of your time, coming back with medals.

So, that way, it is very different. Youth Olympics is a little more pressure than the actual Olympics," she added.There is little time for Dhinidhi to dwell on her bronze, with two more events remaining, including the 200m freestyle, her main event. The 100m performance has given her confidence, particularly after improvements in her opening speed."I feel much better going into that. Because now I have a lot more opening speed. I have goals for that as well," she said.