Nobody in the history of the Youth Olympic Games had won four individual gold medals at a single edition. Japan's Mana Ishikawa did it in Dakar, finishing the set in the shortest race on the program.
Ishikawa won the women's 50-meter breaststroke in a personal best 31.76, according to World Aquatics. Lebanon's Thea Obeid took silver in 32.00, 0.24 behind, and Hong Kong's Man Wui Kiu took bronze in 32.04. World Aquatics confirmed it was the first time a Youth Olympian had won four individual golds at one Games.
Mana Ishikawa's Four Golds: 50, 100 and 200 Breaststroke, 200 IM
The 50 followed wins in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. She won the 200 breaststroke in 2:26.50, 0.71 ahead of China's Mohan Chang, according to Xinhua via People's Daily, and the 200 IM in 2:13.06, with Chang second again, per Italy's OA Sport. That is a sweep of all three breaststroke distances plus the medley, the event that tests every stroke.
"I was very determined to get the win," Ishikawa told World Aquatics after the 50.
The Same Night in the Dakar Pool
China's Xie Yichen won the men's 50 breaststroke in 28.13, and Greece's Nikolaos Papatheodorou and Portugal's Miguel Reis Oliveira tied for gold in the men's 50 backstroke at 25.69. Romania's Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu won the women's 50 backstroke in 27.93.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event held in Africa, run through Nov. 13. More swimming is on the BallerTube swimming page.
