Nigeria’s young athletes have given the country another reason to celebrate after Gift Bright and Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo delivered a remarkable sprint double at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The duo won the men’s and women’s 100m gold medals on Sunday, making Nigeria the first country to claim both sprint titles at the same edition of the Youth Olympics.
Bright produced a sensational performance in the men’s final, clocking a personal best and Games record of 10.28 seconds. The 15-year-old became the first Nigerian to win the men’s 100m title at the competition.
Nwankwo was equally impressive in the women’s race, crossing the finish line in 11.16 seconds to secure her gold medal and complete Nigeria’s historic double.
Her victory also placed her among the Nigerian women who have won the Youth Olympics 100m title, following Josephine Omaka and Rosemary Chukwuma.
The two gold medals opened Nigeria’s medal account at the Games, which continue until November 13.
With these performances, Bright and Nwankwo have announced themselves as young talents to watch. Nigerian sports fans will now be hoping that the country’s athletes can build on this momentum and bring home even more medals from Dakar.
