Nigeria wins three gold medals, records best-ever Youth Olympics outing
Nigeria has recorded its best-ever performance at the Youth Olympic Games, winning three gold medals at the Dakar 2026 edition in Senegal.
The three gold medals, won by Bright Gift, Rosemary Nwankwo and Praise Ugoh in athletics, surpassed the country’s previous best of two gold medals at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010.
Gift made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win the men’s 100m title at the Games, clocking 10.28 seconds to claim gold and set a new Games record.
Nwankwo won the women’s 100m in 11.16 seconds, making Nigeria the first country to win both men’s and women’s 100m titles at the same edition of the competition.
Ugoh completed Nigeria’s golden campaign by winning the women’s 400m in a personal best of 52.76 seconds, becoming the first Nigerian to win the event at the Games.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) attributed the achievement to sustained efforts in grassroots sports development, talent identification and the provision of competitive platforms for young athletes.
In a statement on Thursday, the commission highlighted its Invited Junior Athletes Initiative, the National Sports Festival and the hosting of the CAA Africa U18/U20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta as platforms for discovering and nurturing emerging talents. It also acknowledged the contributions of its Director of Grassroots Sports Development, Prince Niyi Beyeku, and other stakeholders.
The NSC also commended the Nigeria Olympic Committee, led by its president, Habu Gumel, as well as the athletes’ coaches, technical officials, medical personnel and support staff, saying Nigeria’s outing in Dakar offered renewed hope for the country’s sporting future.
