Dakar Youth Olympics: Nwankwo, Bright Power Nigeria To 100m Double Gold
By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria enjoyed a memorable outing in the athletics events at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo and Gift Bright made history by winning gold medals in the women’s and men’s 100m events.
Nwankwo led the charge with an impressive victory in the women’s 100m final, clocking a wind-assisted 11.16 seconds to become the third Nigerian to win the event in Youth Olympic Games history.
The Nigerian sprinter finished ahead of Arwa Ali and Dana Salem to claim the gold medal, rounding off an impressive campaign after recording the fastest time in the semi-final heats.
Bright completed Nigeria’s sprint double with a commanding display in the men’s 100m final, becoming the first Nigerian to win the event at the Youth Olympic Games.
The youngster produced a personal-best time of 10.28 seconds to secure the gold medal, comfortably finishing ahead of Zhang Hangyu, who clocked 10.57 seconds, and Szymon Dolega, who settled for third place in 10.61 seconds.
The two victories represent a significant milestone for Nigerian athletics, with both sprinters announcing themselves on the international stage through their impressive performances.
Their achievements have also provided a major boost to Team Nigeria’s medal campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
