Nigeria’s four swimmers are set to conclude their Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games campaign on Friday, with Kashope Obatoyinbo’s historic appearance in the men’s 50m freestyle final standing out.
The 16-year-old became the first Nigerian swimmer to reach a final at the competition after defeating Christon Joseph of the Bahamas in a swim-off.
Both swimmers had recorded 23.67 seconds in the heats, but Obatoyinbo secured qualification with a time of 23.55 seconds, edging his opponent by 0.01 seconds.
He eventually placed sixth in the final with 23.43 seconds, improving on his earlier time but missing out on a medal.
His achievement followed a 29th-place finish among 73 competitors in the men’s 100m freestyle.
Meanwhile, compatriot Aidan Dumuje-Abili finished fifth in his 100m backstroke heat in 1:00.79 and also placed fifth in his 50m butterfly heat with a time of 26.05 seconds.
