In brief

• Szymon Dołęga won bronze in the men's 100 metres at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, crossing the line in 10.61 seconds.
• Poland's second medal in Dakar came after Lena Kaczkowska's pole vault bronze on 8 November.
• Poland has 24 athletes competing in 12 disciplines at the Games.

Bronze in the 100 metres

Polish sprinter Szymon Dołęga took bronze in the 100 metres at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, crossing the line in 10.61 seconds (Co za dzień! Kolejny medal Polski na Młodzieżowych Igrzyskach Olimpijskich 2026 – www.polsatsport.pl). Nigeria's Gift Bright won the final in 10.28, ahead of China's Hangyu Zhang, who clocked 10.57. Dołęga, who represents Feniks Siedlce, had been considered one of the main contenders for a podium place before the race (Swobodę niegdyś zdyskwalifikowali. Dołęga walczył o medal igrzysk w Dakarze – Interia Sport).

Heat and conditions

The final was run in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius under full sun, conditions that sprinters generally handle better than distance runners. A tailwind was also reported during the race.

A reminder from Nanjing

The story of Ewa Swoboda shows how fragile results at this level can be. At the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, the then 17-year-old was the clear favourite in the women's 100 metres after running 11.30 seconds in the heats. She false-started in the final and was disqualified, and the gold went to the winner with 11.65 seconds.

Poland's medal count in Dakar

Poland's first medal came on 8 November, when Lena Kaczkowska took bronze in the pole vault (Jest złoto! Podsumowanie startów Polaków na Młodzieżowych Igrzyskach Olimpijskich – polsatsport.pl) (Co za występ koszykarek 3x3! Mamy złoty medal Młodzieżowych Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2026 – polsatsport.pl). Dołęga's bronze was the second. The women's 3x3 basketball team later added gold, beating China 12-11 in the final (Polki mistrzyniami olimpijskimi! Niesamowity finał. Zdecydowały ostatnie sekundy – Sport.pl) (Epicka batalia Polek o złoty medal MIO. Szaleństwo, zdecydował jeden punkt – Interia Sport).

In total, Poland sent 24 athletes across 12 disciplines, 14 girls and 10 boys, to the Games, which bring together around 2,700 competitors aged up to 17.