Tirthank Pegu Wins 200m Butterfly Bronze at Youth Olympics

Seventeen-year-old Tirthank Pegu of Assam’s Jorhat district won bronze in the 200m butterfly at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. He became the first Indian man to win a swimming medal at the Games.

Race result and career

Pegu clocked 2:01.25, finishing behind Egypt’s Zain Ali, who won in 1:57.88, and Vietnam’s Van Hoang Quy Duong, who recorded 2:00.32. Five days earlier, Pegu had missed bronze in the 100m butterfly by 0.27 seconds. His personal best in the 200m event is 2:00.96.

At the 2022 Junior Nationals, Pegu won gold in the 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle, and silver in two relay events. He later won silver in the 200m butterfly at the Asian Youth Games. Pegu dedicated his Dakar medal to coach and former Olympian Sandeep Sejwal. He has said he aims to reach the final at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Important Facts for Exams

• Universality places: Youth Olympic Games reserve places for athletes from under-represented nations regardless of qualifying marks, helping every nation send at least four athletes.
• Butterfly race rules: In butterfly, swimmers may use dolphin kicks after starts and turns, but must surface by 15 metres and touch the wall simultaneously with both hands.