Archive · 7 Aug 2026
17-year-old Nirmayee Ambetkar targets India's first Olympic swimming medal
Nirmayee is a 17-year-old girl from India who loves swimming.
She started swimming when she was just 5 years old, and she has practiced for more than 10 years.
Her favorite race is the 200-meter butterfly, which is one of the hardest swimming races because it is very tiring.
She recently broke a record that had stood for 13 years at a big school swimming competition.
Her big dream is to go to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and win a medal for India.
No Indian swimmer has ever won an individual Olympic medal, so she wants to be the first.
She trains very hard, starting at 5 in the morning, and also does gym exercises to build strong muscles.
She has trained in other countries like France and Singapore to learn from strong swimmers.
To make history, she needs to swim faster, because India's best time is 2:17 and her time is 2:24.
If she keeps working hard, she might make history for her country!
Nirmayee Ambetkar, 17, has swum for over 10 years with the aim of representing India at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
She broke a 13-year-old record at the 69th National School Games in the 200m butterfly with a personal best of 2:24.
India has never won an individual medal in Olympic swimming, and she hopes to end that drought.
She trains at Somaiya Sports Academy under Somaiya Vidyavihar University in Mumbai and was previously coached by Arjuna awardee Virdhawal Khade.
Earlier this year she competed in the Singapore National Age Group Championship in March and Junior Nationals in Ahmedabad in June.
India's best time in the 200m butterfly is 2:17, while her time is 2:24, and reducing that gap is her main goal.
- Who
- Nirmayee Ambetkar, a 17-year-old butterfly swimmer training at Somaiya Sports Academy in Mumbai, coached earlier by Virdhawal Khade
- What
- Aiming to become India's first individual Olympic swimming medal winner, targeting the LA 2028 Games after breaking a 13-year-old 200m butterfly record
- When
- Record broken at the 69th National School Games last year; competed in Singapore National Age Group Championship in March and Junior Nationals in Ahmedabad in June
- Where
- Mumbai, India (Somaiya Sports Academy), with training exposure in France and competition in Singapore and Ahmedabad
- Why
- India has never won an individual swimming medal at the Olympics, and Nirmayee wants to change that piece of history
- Age
- 17 years old
- Event
- 200m butterfly
- Personal best
- 2:24 (broke a 13-year-old record at National School Games)
- India best time
- 2:17 in the 200m butterfly
- Training academy
- Somaiya Sports Academy, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai
- Previous coach
- Arjuna awardee and Olympic swimming coach Virdhawal Khade
- Goal
- Represent India at the LA 2028 Olympic Games and win a medal
- Competitions in 2026
- Singapore National Age Group Championship (March) and Junior Nationals, Ahmedabad (June)