Nigeria Claim Historic Double Gold in 100m at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics

Nigeria’s Gift Bright and Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo have secured historic victories at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, winning gold medals in the boys’ and girls’ 100-metre events.

Bright delivered an outstanding performance in the boys’ final, clocking a personal best and Games record of 10.28 seconds to claim gold. China’s Hangyu Zhang finished second in 10.57 seconds, while Poland’s Szymon Dolega secured bronze in 10.61 seconds.

The 15-year-old’s victory made him the first Nigerian to win the boys’ 100m title at the Youth Olympic Games. He had earlier qualified for the final after winning his semi-final heat in 10.34 seconds.

In the girls’ event, Nwankwo completed Nigeria’s sprint double with a time of 11.16 seconds, finishing ahead of the United Arab Emirates’ Arwa Ali, who recorded 11.41 seconds, and Qatar’s Dana Salem, who finished in 11.48 seconds.

Although Nwankwo’s winning time was wind-assisted, her victory marked another significant achievement for Nigerian athletics. She became the third Nigerian woman to win the Youth Olympic 100m title, following Josephine Omaka in 2010 and Rosemary Chukwuma in 2018.

The two victories provided Nigeria with its first gold medals at the Dakar 2026 Games and highlighted the country’s growing strength in youth athletics.