Nigeria made an impressive start to the athletics events at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, winning gold medals in both the men’s and women’s 100m finals.
Rosemary Nwankwo opened Nigeria’s gold medal account in the women’s 100m, crossing the finish line in 11.16 seconds to claim victory and set a new personal best at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop.
She finished ahead of Arwa Ali of the United Arab Emirates, who recorded a personal best of 11.41 seconds, while Dana Salem of Qatar took bronze in 11.48 seconds.
Nwankwo became the third Nigerian woman to win Youth Olympic 100m gold, following Josephine Omaka at the inaugural 2010 Games in Singapore and Rosemary Chukwuma at the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires.
Nigeria’s celebrations continued minutes later when Gift Bright won the men’s 100m final in a personal-best time of 10.28 seconds.
China’s Zhang Hangyu finished second in 10.57 seconds, while Poland’s Szymon Dolega claimed bronze in 10.61 seconds.
Speaking after her victory, Nwankwo said she remained focused on her performance despite the importance of the occasion.
“There was no pressure on me. I run my race. I focused on me, and I did it,” she said.
“I’ve prayed for this moment, and I did it.”
Bright’s victory was particularly significant after a thigh injury troubled him during the two weeks leading up to the competition.
The Nigerian sprinter admitted that the injury had affected his confidence but expressed relief at competing without pain in the final.
He also expressed confidence in Nigeria’s sprinting prospects at future competitions.
“I want to tell you guys that at the next (Youth) Olympics, expect Nigeria to win it again. We are good sprinters.
“We know how to condition ourselves to stay where we are. It’s a very big thing for us,” he said.