Zimpapers Sports Hub
TEENAGE sensation Ropafadzo Mzondo last night sprinted into the history books after claiming Zimbabwe’s first-ever medal at the Youth Olympic Games by winning gold in the men’s 200-metre final.
Mzondo finished ahead of the competition when he clocked 21.04 seconds. He finished well ahead of Deugan Farrell of Guyana and Durden Pi Wangkey of the Philippines, who both clocked 21.36 seconds.
But Farrell was declared the silver medallist via a photo-finish or tie-break.
But the evening belonged to Mzondo, who delivered a master-class performance in Dakar to secure the top spot on the podium.
The historic victory ended a medal drought at the global youth show-piece and also signalled the rise of a major new talent on the international track scene.
Mzondo’s powerful execution off the bend and commanding straight-line speed left his competitors trailing in his wake. His milestone achievement is being hailed back home as a monumental breakthrough for the country’s youth sports development programs.
Earlier in the day, Mzondo secured a place in the men’s 200m final with a new personal best time. The 17-year-old clocked an incredible 21.02 seconds to win his semi-final, which was the fastest time across both semi-final heats.
Meanwhile, cycling sensation Rohnan Nicholson produced an impressive performance to finish fifth in the men’s individual time trial at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The 17-year-old St John’s College student was the highest-ranked African cyclist in a field of 39 competitors, underlining his growing reputation on the international stage.
Nicholson’s top-five finish marked a significant improvement from his ninth-place result in his previous race, as he responded strongly after admitting that he felt he could have done better.
The Zimbabwean had earlier spoken about the challenges of competing in the Dakar heat against a strong international field, while also revealing that racing just two weeks after his previous competition had tested his preparation.
“It was good. It was hot out there, and there were a lot of strong guys. It was a good race, but hot and fast, very fast,” Nicholson said.
“A ninth-place finish is an okay result. I feel like maybe I should have done a bit better, but we still have one more day to go, so we will do it there,” he said ahead of his final race.
However, he remained determined to make the most of his remaining opportunity, and his fifth-place finish provided an encouraging response.
The result adds to Nicholson’s growing list of achievements following his historic gold medal at the CAC African Road Cycling Championships, where he became Zimbabwe’s first male junior cyclist to win gold.
