DAKAR – Qatar's Dana Salem secured a new Olympic achievement for her country by winning the bronze medal in the women's 100m on Sunday at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, following an impressive performance in a highly competitive race against some of the world's leading young sprinters.

Salem clocked 11.48 seconds to finish third and claim the bronze medal. Arwa Ali of the United Arab Emirates took silver in 11.41 seconds, while Nigeria's Rosemary Nwankwo won gold with a time of 11.16 seconds.

Following her achievement, Salem dedicated her medal to Qatar's wise leadership, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), and the country's Olympic and sporting community. She expressed her pride in representing Qatar and raising its flag at an international Olympic event that brings together some of the world's most promising young athletes.

For his part, Mr Naji Al Amri, Head of the Qatari delegation, congratulated Salem on winning the bronze medal, praising her impressive performance. He noted that her achievement would serve as a strong motivation for the other members of the delegation to continue striving for success and achieve positive results that reflect Qatar's sporting ambitions.

"We are proud of Dana's achievement and look forward to seeing our athletes deliver strong performances and achieve positive results. This participation also provides them with a valuable opportunity to gain experience and compete against some of the world's best young athletes," he said.

Qatar's participation in the Games continues, with sprinter Abu Bakr Idris set to compete in the 110m event on Monday, while Adham Al Deeb will begin his campaign in the men's individual foil fencing competition. Both athletes will be looking to deliver strong performances and achieve positive results in their respective events.

Team Qatar is represented at the Games by four athletes: Adam Morsy in swimming, Dana Salem and Abu Bakr Idris in athletics, and Adham Al Deeb in foil fencing. Their participation aims to strengthen Qatar's presence on the international sporting stage while giving its young talents valuable experience in Olympic competition.

The Games are being held across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly over 15 days, bringing together around 2,700 athletes competing in 25 sports and 153 medal events, alongside 10 interactive sports that do not award medals. The event provides a global platform for emerging sporting talents from across the continents.

Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Games primarily target athletes aged between 15 and 17. Senegal's hosting of the event marks a historic milestone, as it becomes the first African country to host the Youth Olympic Games, opening new horizons for the development of the Olympic movement and sport across the continent.