Ecuadors Elvira Espinosa Claims First Gold Medal at Dakar Youth Olympic Games 2026

Dakar, November 1 (Daily Kiran) : Elvira Espinosa from Ecuador made history on November 1, 2026, by securing the first gold medal at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games. She triumphed in the women’s 400-meter freestyle swimming event, finishing with a time of 4:22.87 seconds.

Espinosa expressed her joy, stating, “I am very happy to win the first gold medal at these Youth Olympic Games. I am grateful to everyone who has supported me.” This victory marked an improvement over her previous best time of 4:25.34 seconds set at the 2026 South American Youth Games. “This is my best performance in all competitions so far, and this gold medal is the best,” she added.

The fastest heats began around 10:19 AM local time at the outdoor 50-meter pool at the Complex Tour L’Oeuf. The weather was cloudy, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius. Espinosa noted, “The weather in my country is similar, but it’s not as sunny. The water was great, and I had no issues.”

South Africa’s Leah Markgraf claimed the silver medal with a time of 4:26.13 seconds, while Belgium’s Celia Pax took bronze, finishing in 4:28.37 seconds. Markgraf commented, “I think this is truly amazing. It shows that we are improving and will soon be able to host such major events again.”

The fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games are being held in Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly until November 13, with swimming competitions running until November 6. The grand opening of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games took place on Saturday, marking the first time an Olympic event is hosted on the African continent. The ceremony was held at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in the new city of Diamniadio, approximately 30 kilometers from Senegal’s capital, Dakar, and it can accommodate 55,000 spectators.