By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria recorded a historic double triumph in athletics at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, as Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo and Gift Bright clinched gold medals in the women’s and men’s 100m events.
Nwankwo became the third Nigerian to win the women’s 100m title in Youth Olympic Games history after clocking a wind-assisted 11.16 seconds in an impressive final.
The Nigerian sprinter defeated Arwa Ali and Dana Salem to claim the gold medal, completing an outstanding campaign in which she had also recorded the fastest time across the semi-final heats.
Gift Bright followed suit with a remarkable performance in the men’s final, becoming the first Nigerian to win the men’s 100m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
Bright dominated the race in a personal-best time of 10.28 seconds, finishing ahead of Zhang Hangyu, who recorded 10.57 seconds, while Szymon Dolega settled for third place in 10.61 seconds.
The two victories represent a major milestone for Nigerian athletics and underline the country’s growing depth of young sprinting talents.
The historic achievements by Nwankwo and Bright have further boosted Nigeria’s medal campaign at the continental Youth Olympic Games, while establishing both athletes as emerging stars on the international athletics scene.
