Nigeria has made history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after Gift Bright and Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo captured gold medals in the men’s and women’s 100 metres, delivering a historic sprint double for the country. The victories, recorded on Sunday, November 8, marked Nigeria’s first medals at the Games and made the country the first to win both 100m titles at the same edition of the Youth Olympics. According to World Athletics and Premium Times, the achievement places two emerging Nigerian sprinters among the standout performers of the competition, which is being staged in Dakar, Senegal, until November 13.
Fifteen-year-old Bright produced a remarkable performance in the men’s final, clocking a personal best and Youth Olympic Games record of 10.28 seconds to secure Nigeria’s first-ever boys’ 100m title at the competition. He finished ahead of China’s Hangyu Zhang, who recorded 10.57 seconds, while Poland’s Szymon Dolega took bronze in 10.61 seconds. Nwankwo completed the double in the women’s final, winning in 11.16 seconds ahead of the United Arab Emirates’ Arwa Ali in 11.41 seconds and Qatar’s Dana Salem in 11.48 seconds. Her time was wind-assisted, with a reading of 2.4 metres per second, above the permitted limit for record purposes. She becomes the third Nigerian woman to win the Youth Olympic 100m title, following Josephine Omaka in 2010 and Rosemary Chukwuma in 2018.
Beyond the medals, the victories represent a significant moment for Nigerian athletics and the development of young sporting talent across the country. Bright’s triumph establishes a new milestone in Nigeria’s Youth Olympic history, while Nwankwo extends the country’s legacy in the women’s sprint event. The double victory also provides fresh momentum for Nigeria’s delegation as the Dakar Games continue, with the performances drawing attention to the potential of the country’s next generation of athletes. For Nigerian athletics, the challenge now is to build on this achievement through sustained investment in grassroots development, coaching, competition opportunities and support systems capable of translating emerging talent into success at senior international level.
