Dakar 2026: Ugoh makes history, wins Nigeria’s first youth Olympic 400m Gold

By Tosin Omojola

Praise Ugoh made history on Monday as Nigeria’s first women’s 400m champion at the Youth Olympic Games, winning the Dakar 2026 final in a personal-best 52.76 seconds.

She finished ahead of Venezuela’s Osmary Pacheco, who also set a personal best of 52.85, while Aisha Muhammed of the United Arab Emirates took bronze in 53.06.

Ugoh’s victory gave Nigeria its third athletics gold of the Games, following Rosemary Nwankwo’s women’s 100m and Gift Bright’s men’s 100m wins on Sunday. It was also Nigeria’s first Youth Olympic women’s 400m title since the Games began in 2010.

Nigeria won two athletics gold medals at the inaugural Singapore 2010 Games, where Josephine Omaka took the girls’ 100m and Nkiruka Florence Nwakwe won the 200m.

At Buenos Aires 2018, Rosemary Chukwuma won the women’s 100m in 11.17 seconds, defeating Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who later claimed the event’s Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

Nigeria also won three silver medals there, with Alaba Akintola in the men’s 100m and Ineh Oritsemeyiwa in the triple jump.

Before Dakar 2026, Nigeria’s three Youth Olympic gold medals had all come in athletics; Nwankwo, Bright and Ugoh have now doubled the tally to six. Ugoh’s win also marks Nigeria’s first Olympic gold at senior or youth level since Chukwuma’s 2018 triumph.

With athletics continuing at Complexe Iba Mar Diop, Nigeria has further opportunities to add to its medal haul before the Games conclude.