Sixteen-year-old Tejiri Praise Ugoh has made history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, winning Nigeria’s first individual 400m title. The Nigerian teenager won the women’s 400 metres final on Monday, November 9, with a personal-best time of 52.76 seconds.
Her performance delivered another major milestone for Team Nigeria and strengthened the country’s impressive athletics campaign in Senegal overall. Ugoh crossed the finish line ahead of Venezuela’s Osmary Pacheco, who claimed silver after recording 52.85 seconds.
Aisha Muhammed of the United Arab Emirates secured bronze, completing the podium with a time of 53.06 seconds. The result made Ugoh the first Nigerian athlete to win a 400m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
She also became Nigeria’s third athletics gold medallist at the competition, following two victories in Sunday’s sprint finals. Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo won the women’s 100m title, while Gift Bright captured gold in the men’s 100m event.
Their victories made Nigeria the first nation to win both 100m crowns at one Youth Olympic edition. Ugoh’s triumph adds another chapter to Nigeria’s reputation for producing promising young track and field talents across the country.
The 16-year-old showed remarkable composure against an international field, improving her performance when the biggest prize mattered most. She qualified for the final after finishing second in her semi-final heat with a time of 54.38 seconds.
That performance placed her behind Pacheco, who clocked 53.01 seconds to win their semi-final contest. Ugoh then produced a substantial improvement in the final, lowering her time by more than one second.
Her 52.76-second finish established a new personal best, highlighting her progress in the one-lap event. The victory lifted Nigeria’s gold-medal tally to three at the Dakar Games and boosted its position on the standings.
Dakar 2026 marks the first time the Youth Olympic Games have taken place on African soil. The competition began on October 31 and will continue until November 13, bringing together emerging athletes from across the world.
Ugoh’s achievement offers Nigerian athletics another reason for optimism as the country’s young competitors continue their campaign in Senegal.
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