Sprinters Rosemary Nwankwo and Gift Bright starred on the track as Nigeria win double gold in the 100m finals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday.
Nwankwo became the third Nigerian to win the women’s 100m title in Youth Olympic Games history after producing a superb wind-assisted performance of 11.16 seconds to claim gold.
Meanwhile, Arwa Ali took silver in 11.41, and Dana Salem, who took bronze in 11.48.
From the four editions in history of the Youth Olympic Games. Nigeria has now won three-
2010 – Josephine Amaka;
2018 – Rosemary Chukwuma;
2026 – Rosemary Nwankwo
Also, the Nigerian sprinter capped an impressive campaign in which she recorded the fastest time across the semi-final heats.
Gift Shines Brightest in Boys 100m
Gift Bright followed with another outstanding performance, becoming the first Nigerian to win the men’s 100m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
Bright dominated the final with a personal-best time of 10.28 seconds, ahead of Zhang Hangyu in 10.57 seconds for silver and Szymon Dolega in 10.61 seconds for bronze.
Just like Rosemary, Gift ran the fastest time in the semi-final, recording a personal best of 10.34s before lowering it in the final.
The double triumph marks a significant achievement for Nigeria’s young athletes and further strengthens the country’s medal campaign at the continental Youth Olympic Games.
Furthermore, Nigeria now ranks 14th place on the Dakar 2026 medal table thanks to Rosemary Nwankwo and Gift Bright.
