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At just 14 years of age, Dhinidhi Desinghu has become the youngest Indian swimmer to compete at the Olympics. Hailing from Bengaluru, she represented India in the 200m freestyle event at the Paris 2024 Summer Games.Despite finishing 23rd out of 31 competitors with a time of 2:06.96, Desinghu's Olympic debut was a memorable experience. "Just getting a chance to be here with all these amazing athletes is such an amazing opportunity," she said. "I am just really happy I got a chance to be swimming at such an amazing venue at the Olympics."Desinghu's journey to the Olympics has been marked by impressive achievements at the national level. She has also represented India at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and the World Aquatics Championships in Doha earlier this year.Despite her young age, Desinghu has shown remarkable resilience and determination. She used to experience nervousness before competitions, but has overcome this challenge to become a formidable competitor.After completing her events in Paris, Desinghu attended a meet and greet at India House, where she interacted with fans and shared her Olympic experience. Her shy demeanor and youthful enthusiasm made her a popular figure among the audience.Desinghu's Olympic debut is a testament to her talent and hard work. She is an inspiration to young athletes across India, demonstrating that age is no barrier to achieving dreams.

Indian Swimming Faces Setback Ahead of Paris OlympicsThree years ago, Indian swimming celebrated a historic moment when Sajan Prakash became the first Indian to achieve the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) for the Tokyo Games. However, as the Paris Olympics approach, the Indian swimming contingent finds itself in a disappointing position.No Indian swimmer has managed to qualify for the Paris Olympics through the OQT or the Olympic Consideration Timing (OCT). This has forced India to rely on Universality Places, which are allocated to underrepresented National Olympic Committees. As a result, Srihari Nataraj (100m backstroke) and Dhinidhi Desinghu (200m freestyle) will represent India in Paris.Sajan Prakash, who made history in Tokyo, has been sidelined by injuries and failed to qualify for Paris. He acknowledges that his planning and training were not optimal. The modified criteria for Universality places, which limit participation to two Olympics and an age limit of 30, also worked against him.Srihari Nataraj, who also achieved the OQT for Tokyo, expressed disappointment at not qualifying directly for Paris. Despite strong performances, he narrowly missed the 'A' cut. Coach Nihar Ameen believes that Srihari may need to reduce weight to improve his speed.Indian swimming coaches attribute the lack of depth in the sport to early burnout. Young swimmers often peak early due to pressure to perform in national meets. This leads to injuries and a high dropout rate before the age of 17.To address this issue, coaches emphasize the need for a robust coaches' education program to raise the level of coaching. They believe that it will take time to develop a sustainable pipeline of talented swimmers who can consistently achieve Olympic qualification.