Dakar 2026: Obatoyinbo Finishes Sixth as Nigeria Misses Swimming Medal

Posted : 06 November 2026

Nigeria's Kashope Eyituoyo Obatoyinbo narrowly missed out on a medal in the men's 50m freestyle at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after finishing sixth in Wednesday's final.

The 16-year-old swimmer clocked 23.43 seconds to secure sixth place among eight finalists at the competition. Although he missed the podium, his performance marked an important milestone for Nigerian swimming.

Obatoyinbo's route to the final was particularly challenging. He initially finished joint-eighth in the heats with the Bahamas' Christon Joseph after recording 23.67 seconds, forcing him into a swim-off to determine the final qualification spot.

The Nigerian responded under pressure, clocking 23.55 seconds to defeat Joseph, who recorded 23.56 seconds. The one-hundredth-of-a-second difference secured his place in the final.

He improved his time to 23.43 seconds in the decisive race, finishing just 0.08 seconds behind fifth-placed Lee Han of Chinese Taipei.

Czech Republic's Zdenek Prochazka claimed gold in 22.54 seconds, while Trinidad and Tobago's Jaden Mills secured silver in 22.99 seconds. Cyprus' Andrew Marcus Laghoutis completed the podium with bronze in 23.04 seconds.

Obatoyinbo became the first Nigerian athlete to reach an event final at the ongoing Youth Olympic Games. His achievement attracted praise from Team Nigeria officials, who commended his determination and resilience despite missing out on a medal.

2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games+2

Meanwhile, Nigeria's women's beach volleyball campaign also ended in the quarterfinals after Pamela Bawa and Joy Lawrence suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The Nigerian pair lost 21-14, 21-16 to Dutch opponents Jara Both and Matilda de Groot at Saly Beach West. They had reached the quarterfinals after defeating Thailand 21-16, 21-13 in the round of 16.

Despite their elimination, the team's coach, Kayode Ajilore, described the tournament as a valuable learning experience for the players. He acknowledged that the team had arrived in Senegal with strong medal ambitions following its previous achievements in African beach volleyball.

Nigeria have twice won the African championship, secured two bronze medals and qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Ajilore admitted that missing out on the semifinals was disappointing but said the experience would help the players identify areas requiring improvement ahead of future international competitions.

He also expressed appreciation to the National Sports Commission (NSC), particularly its Director General, Bukola Olopade, for supporting the team's preparations and participation in Dakar.

The coach explained that the immediate priority was to allow the players to rest and recover before resuming preparations for the LA 2028 Olympics and other competitions scheduled by the NSC and the national federation.

Nigeria's participation in Dakar 2026 continues to provide valuable international exposure for its young athletes as the country develops its next generation of sporting talent.

Dakar 2026: Obatoyinbo Finishes Sixth as Nigeria Misses Swimming Medal

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