Mady Sow secures Olympic medal in Dakar
French badminton prospect Mady Sow has guaranteed himself a spot on the podium at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, clinching a place in the men’s singles final. Following a dominant performance on the fifth day of competition, the 16-year-old remains undefeated in the tournament, having yet to drop a single set throughout his campaign.
The path to the gold medal match began Wednesday morning at the Dakar Arena, where Sow overcame American Rithik Rasamsetti in the quarterfinals. Despite a testing start to the opening set, the French athlete maintained his composure to win 21-18 before using his height and reach to dominate the second set 21-12, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee reported.
Sow continued his momentum later that afternoon in the semifinals, defeating South Korean opponent Jung Bin Park. The match saw Sow take an early lead, at one point establishing a nine-point advantage in the first set. Although the second set proved more competitive, Sow executed his game plan to close out the match 21-12, 21-16.
Family ties and local support in Senegal
For Sow, the competition in Senegal carries a personal significance. In a pre-tournament portrait published by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee on November 1, the athlete highlighted his family heritage in the region. With his father and uncle in the stands at the Dakar Arena, Sow noted the emotional impact of competing in his father’s home country.
“It’s a pleasure to see so many people cheering for me,” Sow said following his quarterfinal victory. After his semifinal win, he added, “I’m on fire. When I play and I see the whole crowd in front of me, it’s beautiful.”
Nina Guo Zheng exits in table tennis quarterfinals
While the badminton tournament saw a French victory, the table tennis competition concluded for 16-year-old Nina Guo Zheng at the Dakar Expo Center. Despite a spirited effort supported by teammates from the baseball5, wushu, and judo squads, the French player fell in the quarterfinals to Ming Ying Loy of Singapore.
The match was a closely contested battle. After dropping a tight first set 13-11, the French champion of the U19 European circuit struggled to maintain pace in the second. She briefly regained momentum in the third set, winning 11-6 in five minutes, but ultimately lost the following two sets 11-4 and 13-11.
“I’m still too tense when I play,” Guo Zheng said after the match. “I didn’t manage to find the solution when she increased the speed.” Despite the loss, her performance throughout the youth games marked an important milestone in her development as she looks toward future international competitions.
Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 Men's Singles – Group A 21 21 🇫🇷Mady SOW🏅 5 6 🇳🇿Tony YU 🕚 in 21 minutes
Gold medal match details
Mady Sow is scheduled to compete for the gold medal on Thursday, November 5, at 16:00 CET. He will face Riyan Malhan of the United Arab Emirates, who secured his own final berth after defeating China’s Tian Yue Hong in a two-set semifinal match. While the French delegation is guaranteed at least a silver medal, the final color of the podium placement will be determined by the result of Thursday’s match.
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