DAKAR, Nov. 9– China’s Zhang Keyi won the women’s 100m hurdles title with a personal best, while compatriot Zhang Hangyu took silver in the men’s 100m at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) on Sunday.
China also secured places in the women’s artistic gymnastics team and individual all-around finals, while its women’s 3×3 basketball team advanced to the semifinals.
The 17-year-old Zhang Keyi clocked 13.17 seconds at Iba Mar Diop Stadium to claim gold in the women’s 100m hurdles. After the race, Zhang said she was delighted to win the title but felt she had yet to fully demonstrate her potential in training despite setting a personal best.
“Regarding the future, I don’t want to make any big promises. But I will take it step by step while making sure I stay injury-free,” she added.
In the men’s 100m, 16-year-old Zhang Hangyu clocked 10.57 seconds to finish second, 0.29 seconds behind Nigeria’s Gift Bright.
Making his international debut, Zhang said standing on the podium with the national flag had long been a dream. He added that the silver medal would motivate him to continue improving his technique, mental strength and ability to adapt in future training and competitions.
In the men’s 400m heats, Liu Han finished second in his heat in 46.74 seconds to qualify for Monday’s final.
Nigeria also claimed the women’s 100m title, with Rosemary Nwankwo winning in 11.16 seconds. Kenya took two distance-running titles, with Abigael Kosgei winning the women’s 2,000m steeplechase and Enock Tuitoek claiming the men’s 3,000m gold.
In field events, Ecuador’s Patry Ivan Valdez Arroyo won the men’s hammer throw, while Japan’s Koki Hasebe claimed the men’s long jump title. Spain’s Gift Okunrobo won the women’s triple jump, France’s Julie Bourgis took gold in the women’s pole vault, and Cyprus’ Marina Hadjicosta triumphed in the women’s discus throw.
In gymnastics, China’s women’s team of Chen Ziyan, Zhong Qi and Xie Guying topped qualification with 106.864 points to advance to Monday’s team final. The Chinese gymnasts delivered strong performances on the uneven bars and balance beam.
In individual all-around qualification, Xie ranked first with 53.099 points, followed by Zhong in second with 52.932. Chen placed sixth with 51.665. Under the competition rules, the top 18 gymnasts advance to the individual all-around final, with a maximum of two athletes per delegation. Xie and Zhong will therefore represent China in Tuesday’s final.
Xie said she had made progress on the balance beam but admitted that nerves had affected her performance, preventing her from delivering her best routine. She added that there was still room for improvement.
Chinese coach Zhang Xia said the gymnasts had performed largely in line with their training levels, noting that occasional mistakes were understandable for young athletes. She encouraged them to adjust their mindset and focus on each event rather than dwell on individual errors.
China’s women’s 3×3 basketball team defeated the Czech Republic 21-14 in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal against host Senegal on Monday.
In women’s windsurfing, Wu Ziyan swept all three races held in Saly to take the overall lead. The competition uses a low-point scoring system, with races four to six scheduled for Monday.
In boxing, Wang Jia’en and Zhang Zhengkun both won their respective bouts to advance to the women’s and men’s 60kg quarterfinals, scheduled for Tuesday.
In taekwondo, China’s Zhao Yueyannan lost 2-0 to Chinese Taipei’s Lai Yi-Jhen in the women’s 44kg quarterfinals. Croatia’s Petra Uglesic went on to win the title, while Egypt’s Youssef Hassan Kamal claimed gold in the men’s 48kg category.
In beach wrestling, Azerbaijan’s Tunar Guliyev and Elgun Karimli won the men’s 70kg and 90kg titles, respectively. Senegal’s Ndeye Khady Anna Diatta claimed gold in the women’s 45kg category, while the Dominican Republic’s Yolayni Rosado Valerio won the women’s 65kg title.
France’s Mael Lamouret defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chen Pin-An in the men’s individual archery final. In fencing, Russia’s Uliana Belykh beat Egypt’s Sara Amr Hossny to win the women’s individual foil title. Russia’s Angelina Novolodskaya and Belgium’s Daan Wilmsen claimed the women’s and men’s road cycling titles, respectively.
Another 12 athletics gold medals will be decided on Monday, with China’s Wang Tengfei competing in the men’s 400m hurdles, Chen Shijie in the men’s 110m hurdles, Liu Sen in the men’s high jump, Liu Lixuan in the women’s long jump and Wang Changle in the women’s javelin.
The men’s and women’s gymnastics team finals are also scheduled for Monday, while China’s women’s beach handball team will face Spain and Croatia in Saly. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
