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Praise Ugoh made history at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first Nigerian athlete to win the women’s 400m gold medal with an impressive personal-best time of 52.76 seconds.
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The 16-year-old Nigerian narrowly defeated Venezuela’s Osmary Pacheco, who clocked 52.85 seconds to claim silver, while Aisha Muhammed of the United Arab Emirates settled for bronze in 53.06 seconds.
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Ugoh’s triumph adds to Nigeria’s impressive medal haul at the Games, following Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo and Gift Bright’s historic victories in the women’s and men’s 100m events on Sunday.
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Nigeria’s remarkable sprint achievement at the competition saw the country secure both the men’s and women’s 100m gold medals for the first time at a single edition of the Youth Olympic Games, before Ugoh extended the country’s success with another historic gold.
November 9, (THEWILL) – Praise Ugoh became the first Nigerian to win a 400m title at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, adding another gold medal to the country’s historic sprint double secured by Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo and Gift Bright
Ugoh produced a superb performance in the women’s 400m final, clocking a personal best of 52.76 seconds to claim gold in a closely contested race.
The 16-year-old finished ahead of Venezuela’s Osmary Pacheco, who took silver in 52.85 seconds, while Aisha Muhammed of the United Arab Emirates settled for bronze in 53.06 seconds.
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The victory marks a major milestone for Nigerian athletics, with Ugoh becoming the first Nigerian to win the 400m title at the Youth Olympic Games.
Her triumph follows Nigeria’s outstanding achievement in the 100m events on Sunday, when Rosemary Nwankwo and Gift Bright swept both sprint gold medals to complete a historic Nigerian double.
Nwankwo stormed to victory in the women’s 100m in 11.16 seconds while Bright made history in the men’s event, becoming the first Nigerian to win the Youth Olympic Games 100m title.
Nigeria’s sweep of the men’s and women’s 100m titles marked the first time the country had won both sprint crowns at the same edition of the Youth Olympic Games.
