2026 SUMMER YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
We entered day three of the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, with a Saudi Arabian swimmer making history in the day’s first event.
Racing in the timed final of the 400m free, 17-year-old Rami Rahmouni earned the gold decisively, hitting a mark of 3:47.86 as the sole swimmer of the field to dip under the 3:50 barrier.
Runner-up status went to Russia’s Bogdan Toropkin, yesterday’s 100m free winner, who nabbed silver tonight in 3:50.46.
Mexico’s Daniel Saborio got on the board for his nation, courtesy of the 3:52.72 he put up as the bronze medalist.
As for Rahmouni, his outing tonight checked in as a new national record, erasing his own time of 3:50.27 etched in May of this year at the French U18 Championships.
Speaking to Olympics.com after today’s race, Rahmouni said, “I know that the Russian swimmer (TOROPKIN) can swim a 3:50, so I told myself that I must swim much better.
“So I went out and swam a 1:52 for the first 200 metres. It was a bit fast. During the third 100m, I gave it everything I had, and that was the decisive moment when I settled the race.”
Rahmouni is coming off competing at this year’s Asian Games, where the teen placed 4th in the 1500m there in Tokyo.
New Zealand got on the board once again, courtesy of Ariel Muchirahondo.
Following up on his 200m back victory from earlier in the competition, the 17-year-old topped the podium once again, this time in the 100m back event.
The Kiwi stopped the clock at a time of 56.69, eking out the win ahead of Greek athlete Nikolaos Papatheodorou, who settled for silver just .10 behind in 55.79.
Miguel Reis Oliveira of Portugal also landed on the podium, registering 56.24, good enough for bronze.
After the race, Muchirahondo told Olympics.com, “It’s just relief. It shows the work I put in is paying off out here. I feel happy. Since winning that first gold medal, I’ve just been focusing on recovery and not trying to do too much.
“That first gold medal obviously showed me that it is possible to win and it gave a confidence boost for sure.”
When asked what it meant he already had one gold in his kitty, Muchirahondo told Olympics.com, “It gives you a unique advantage, knowing that you’ve done it before. Instead of having to go up there and tell yourself you can get a gold, you’ve already done it before. You just have to repeat it.”
Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the New Zealand rising star said, “No matter how this meet had gone, good or bad, I still would’ve been having LA on my mind and doing my best there. This is just a positive indicator. It’s good not to get too caught up in the highs or the lows.”
Papatheodorou told Olympics.com, “I did good, I liked the race. I’m very proud of myself. This medal means a lot because I worked a lot and that work paid off. I was just very excited. I very much like this event, it’s my favourite. I just wanted to race.”
Finally, on the men’s side, China’s Xie Yichen upset last night’s 200m breaststroke winner Iori Miyazaki of Japan to reap gold in the 100m sprint.
Xie posted a gold-medal-worthy 1:01.03, getting to the wall a fingernail ahead of Miyazaki, who settled for silver in 1:01.30.
Lithuania’s Domas Vilimas rounded out the podium in 1:01.75.
Xie told Olympics.com after the race, “I did what I came here to do today. This was not an easy pool to swim in, so I think I could’ve done even better. I had high expectations of every aspect of my race. I probably had a bit of an error in my start and dive off the blocks, but I told myself that since it’s already happened, I have to accept it. In the end, the result was still good, so my effort today was not in vain.
“This event is something that I like, so I was determined to do what I know I’m capable of. I was quite nervous. When you want something badly, there is bound to be more pressure. I focused on myself, didn’t think too much about anything else. I like the breaststroke; I think I do it better than freestyle.”
On the women’s side, Romanian Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu was the top performer in the 100m back, hitting the sole time of the pack under the minute barrier.
Silisteanu hit 59.98 for the gold, holding off Korea’s Kim Seungwon, who snagged silver in 1:00.25, followed by Argentine swimmer Cecilia Dieleke, who bagged the bronze in 1:00.83.
As for 17-year-old Silisteanu, she commented after the race, “I’m very glad, and I’m very happy for my results. I had a silver on Sunday, and now having a gold makes me feel incredible.
“In the morning (heats), I did my best and I had a pretty good race, which made me qualify in second. In the finals, I just tried to give everything I could.”
Japan’s Mana Ishikawa continued her momentum from last night’s 200m breaststroke victory with doubling up with a 100m breast win.
Ishikawa stopped the clock at 1:08.81 to turn in the sole time of the pack under the 1:09 barrier.
South Africa’s Chanel Veldsman, already the 200m breast silver medalist here, captured another silver with 1:09.48 as the runner-up.
Hong Kong scored bronze, with Wui Kiu Man delivering a time of 1:10.33 as the bronze medalist.
