Day three of swimming at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games delivered another thrilling session of racing, with narrow margins, historic firsts and returning medallists adding to the excitement in the pool.
Men's 400m Freestyle – Alrahmouni makes history for Saudi Arabia
The Men's 400m Freestyle opened the day with a historic victory for Saudi Arabia's Rami Bilal A Alrahmouni, who claimed gold in 3:47.86. Swimmers raced across heats to determine the overall results for the medals, so Alrahmouni had to maintain his focus and execute his race plan against a strong field.
His victory marked Saudi Arabia's first-ever swimming medal at a Youth Olympic Games and the nation's first medal at Dakar 2026. The significance of the achievement was clear as he celebrated a milestone moment in his career.
“It was pretty huge just standing there. I mean, it’s a Youth Olympic medal and this is part of my dream. I’m already looking forward to LA (2028) and (to) win the gold there, too.”
Russia's Bogdan Toropkin continued his impressive run, adding silver in 3:50.46 to the gold he won in the 100m Freestyle the previous day. Mexico's Daniel Saborio Grillo, the nation's Opening Ceremony flagbearer, completed the podium in 3:52.72.
Women's 100m Backstroke – Silisteanu delivers Romania's first swimming gold
The Women's 100m Backstroke provided one of the closest finishes of the session. Romania's Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu took gold in 59.98, becoming the first Romanian swimming gold medallist at Dakar 2026.
The 17-year-old, who already has silver in the 100m Butterfly, was very pleased with the result and said: “this medal is very important for me. I can’t really believe it yet, if I’m honest.”
South Korea's Kim Seungwon secured silver in a personal best of 1:00.25, just 0.27 seconds behind, while Argentina's Cecilia Dieleke added bronze in 1:00.83. Having won the 200m on the opening day, Dieleke now has two medals from two events.
Men's 100m Backstroke – Muchirachondo completes the double for New Zealand
New Zealand's Ariel Muchirahondo added another gold to his 200m title. Despite a difficult start, he fought back to touch first in 55.69, just one tenth of a second ahead of Greece's Nikolaos Papatheodorou in 55.79. The New Zealand champion was confident going into the racing, having already taken home a gold medal. The unique advantage helped his mindset, he noted: “instead of having to go up there and tell yourself you can get a gold, you’ve already done it before. You just have to repeat it.”
Portugal's Miguel Reis Oliveira took bronze in 56.24. It was another high-quality race decided by the smallest of margins.
Women's 100m Breaststroke – Ishikawa becomes a double champion
Japan's Mana Ishikawa became the country’s first female multi swimming champion of Dakar 2026, winning the women's 100m Breaststroke in 1:08.81, following her win in the 200m. Ishikawa brushed off any pressure heading into the race, she said “I was determined to finish in first place and come home with the win.”
South Africa's Chanel Veldsman took silver in a personal best of 1:09.48, while Hong Kong's Wui Kiu Man earned bronze in 1:10.33. The medal was a significant achievement making her only the second swimmer from Hong Kong to win a Youth Olympic swimming medal, following Siobhan Haughey.
Men's 100m Breaststroke – Xie takes gold in a dramatic finish
The men's 100m Breaststroke brought the day's racing to another dramatic conclusion. China's Yichen Xie claimed gold in 1:01.03, holding off Japan's Iori Miyazaki, who finished just 0.27 seconds behind in 1:01.30. Lithuania's Domas Vilimas completed the podium in a personal best of 1:01.75.
Xie produced a decisive final stroke to secure the title, adding gold to his silver in the 100m Freestyle. Miyazaki and Vilimas also continued their medal-winning form, with all three athletes now having secured two medals from two events.
Despite disappointment in his start, Xie was still proud of the result and hearing the national anthem play. After the race he commented, “I was quite emotional. I feel like I was able to contribute and win something for my country.”
With historic achievements, multiple champions and races decided by fractions of a second, Day 3 once again showcased the depth of swimming talent at Dakar 2026.