Nigeria made history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal on Sunday as Rosemary Nwankwo and Gift Bright won gold medals in the girls’ and boys’ 100-metre races, respectively.
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The victories gave Nigeria its first two gold medals at the ongoing competition and highlighted the country’s growing potential in youth athletics.
Nwankwo opened Nigeria’s gold-medal account with an impressive performance in the girls’ 100m final, clocking a wind-assisted 11.16 seconds to claim the title.
She finished ahead of Arwa Ali of the United Arab Emirates, who recorded 11.41 seconds to win silver, while Dana Salem of Qatar took bronze in 11.48 seconds.
The victory made Nwankwo Nigeria’s third girls’ 100m champion at the Youth Olympic Games, following Josephine Omaka, who won gold at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, and Rosemary Chukwuma, who triumphed at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires.
Nwankwo had earlier demonstrated her readiness for the final by winning her semi-final heat in 11.53 seconds to qualify automatically.
Bright completed Nigeria’s sprint double later in the day, winning the boys’ 100m final in a personal-best time of 10.28 seconds.
The 15-year-old finished comfortably ahead of China’s Hangyu Zhang, who clocked 10.57 seconds to take silver, while Poland’s Szymon Dolega secured bronze in 10.61 seconds.
Bright’s triumph was particularly significant as he became the first Nigerian to win the boys’ 100m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
He had also impressed in the semi-finals, recording 10.34 seconds to win his heat and post the fastest qualifying time. His performance in the final further improved his personal best by 0.06 seconds.
The two gold medals lifted Nigeria to joint 14th on the medal table, with two golds and no silvers or bronzes at the time of the report.
Nigeria’s sprint successes came after a challenging start to its campaign, with the country initially seeking its first medal following the conclusion of competitions in swimming, table tennis and beach volleyball.
The athletics team featured nine Nigerian athletes, including Nwankwo and Bright, who represented the country in sprint events.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which began on October 31, will run until November 13, bringing together young athletes from across the world.
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