Nigeria’s impressive performance at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games continued as Praise Ugoh made history by becoming the country’s first athlete to win the women’s 400m gold medal at the competition.
The 16-year-old secured victory in the final on Monday, November 9, recording a personal-best time of 52.76 seconds to claim the gold medal and add to Nigeria’s growing medal tally.
Ugoh finished ahead of Venezuela’s Osmary Pacheco, who claimed silver in 52.85 seconds, while Aisha Muhammed of the United Arab Emirates secured bronze with a time of 53.06 seconds.
Her victory marked Nigeria’s third athletics gold medal at the ongoing competition and further strengthened the country’s presence in the track events.
Ugoh Completes Nigeria’s Historic Athletics Achievement
Ugoh’s triumph followed Nigeria’s impressive performance in the men’s and women’s 100m finals on Sunday, November 8, when Gift Bright and Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo secured gold medals in their respective events.
Nwankwo won the women’s 100m in 11.16 seconds, while Bright claimed the men’s title in a Games-record time of 10.28 seconds.
Their victories made Nigeria the first country to win both the men’s and women’s 100m titles at the same edition of the Youth Olympic Games.
World Athletics
The achievements, followed by Ugoh’s 400m victory, gave Nigeria three athletics gold medals within two days.
Nigeria Records Historic Performance at Dakar 2026
The performances of Ugoh, Bright and Nwankwo have highlighted Nigeria’s growing success in athletics at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Ugoh’s personal-best performance also represents a significant milestone in her young career, as she became the first Nigerian to win the women’s 400m title in the competition’s history.
The Dakar 2026 Games, which began on October 31, mark the first time the Youth Olympic Games are being hosted on African soil.
Nigeria’s three athletics gold medals have added to the significance of its participation, with the country’s young athletes continuing to attract attention through their performances on the international stage.
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