Meet 14-year-old Dhinidhi Desinghu, India's youngest athlete at Paris 2024 Olympics

Dhinidhi Desinghu has already made an impressive name for herself before ever setting foot in Paris. At 14 years old, this Bengaluru-based swimmer will be the youngest member of India's delegation to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

What will Desinghu compete in??

Desinghu will compete in the women's 200m freestyle event | Image: X

Desinghu will compete in the women's 200m freestyle event, making her the second youngest Indian Olympian in history, when she enters the pool at the Paris La Defense Arena on July 28.?

Aarti Saha holds the record for the youngest Indian Olympian, having 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 old, for a total age difference of 30 years."I am thrilled and just waiting for the day to come," said Desinghu, an IX grade student at Kendriya Vidyalaya and DRDO employee in Bengaluru."We don't expect her to win medals; we just want her to do well," said her mother, Jasitha.

Why is she called for the Paris Olympics??

The Olympic Games Tripartite Commission gave Desinghu the Universality quota | Image: X

With no Indian swimmers meeting the A or B qualification times for the Paris Games, the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission gave Desinghu the Universality quota, along with the seasoned Srihari Nataraj.Despite not having a direct quota, Desinghu's age and unique skills have established her as a prospective talent.?

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"She is one of the very few in India to swim with the straight arm technique," said Nihar Ameen, one of India's most distinguished swimming trainers, who has been training 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."?

Which class is the youngest athlete in??

Desinghu, despite being only in ninth grade, has participated in world-class tournaments | Image: X

Desinghu, despite being only in ninth grade, has participated in world-class tournaments and multi-sport events before. She was a member of the Indian team in the postponed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and competed at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha earlier this year.?

Also read:?Meet A 'Motivational Swimmer'

Desinghu has established herself as India's finest female swimmer during the last year. She won the women's 200m freestyle championship at the 2023 National Aquatics Championships in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, in a national record time of 2:04.24 seconds, qualifying for the Paris Olympics.?

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