Nigeria recorded a remarkable achievement at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after Gift Bright and Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo secured gold medals in the men’s and women’s 100m events on Sunday.
The victories made Nigeria the first nation to claim both 100m titles at a single edition of the Youth Olympic Games.
Bright announced himself on the international stage with an impressive performance in the men’s final, crossing the finish line in a personal best of 10.28 seconds. China’s Hangyu Zhang finished second in 10.57 seconds, while Poland’s Szymon Dolega settled for bronze after recording 10.61 seconds.
The Nigerian sprinter had already shown his strength in the semi-finals, where he won his heat in 10.34 seconds to enter the final as the fastest qualifier. His triumph also marked the first time a Nigerian athlete had won the men’s 100m gold at the Youth Olympics.
Nwankwo followed up with another outstanding display in the women’s final, clocking 11.16 seconds to take the gold medal. Arwa Ali of the United Arab Emirates finished second in 11.41 seconds, while Qatar’s Dana Salem came third in 11.48 seconds.
The 17-year-old had also topped her semi-final heat, recording 11.53 seconds to secure the fastest qualifying time across both heats.
With her victory, Nwankwo became the third Nigerian woman to win the Youth Olympics women’s 100m title. She joins Josephine Omaka, who achieved the feat in Singapore in 2010, and Rosemary Chukwuma, who won gold at Buenos Aires 2018.
The two sprint victories also delivered Nigeria’s first medals at the ongoing competition, which began in Dakar and is scheduled to conclude on November 13.
