Youth Olympics: 17-year-old Shourya Ambure wins historic medal in women’s 100m hurdles

India’s Shourya Ambure made history at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday by winning bronze in the 100m hurdles to become the first Indian woman to win an athletics medal in the junior all-around event.

The 17-year-old from Maharashtra clocked a personal best of 13.59 seconds to finish third in the nine-athlete final at Complexe Iba Mar Diop. China’s Zhang Keyi won gold downwind in 13.17 seconds, while France’s Anna Peeters took silver with a time of 13.57 seconds.

India’s first athletics medal at #Dakar2026 ! Shourya Avinash Ambure sprinted to bronze in the women’s steeplechase final with a personal best of 13.59s! #YouthOlympics #Olympics #OMEGAOfficialTimekeeper Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) November 8, 2026

Ambure improved her personal best twice in the same day. In the other semi-final, she had a time of 13.77 seconds, finishing second to Peeters and qualifying for the final. She then went faster in the medal race to secure India’s first athletics medal at the Dakar Games.

The bronze was also India’s fifth athletics medal in the history of the Youth Olympic Games. Durgesh Kumar Pal and Arjun Kumar won silver medals in the boys’ 400m hurdles and discus throw at Singapore 2010. At Buenos Aires 2018, Suraj Panwar won silver in the boys’ 5km walk, while Praveen Chithravel claimed bronze in the boys’ triple jump.

Ambure’s latest success adds to a strong run at junior level. Now in a span of 18 months, she has won medals at the Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships, the Asian Youth Games and the Youth Olympic Games. At the 2025 Asian Under-18 Championships in Dammam, she won bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.80 seconds.

INDIA’S MEDAL REACHED 8

Ambure was the only Indian athlete at the Dakar Games and her bronze took the country’s total medal tally to eight, with three silver and five bronze medals.

India’s silver medals went to Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjad in Judo, Tanvi Patri in Badminton and Taniya in Beach Wrestling.

Swimmers Dhinidhi Desinghu and Tirthank Pegu along with wushu athlete Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu are among the other Indian bronze medallists. Desinghu won two bronze medals in the competition.

Shourya Ambure earlier clocked 13.77s, also a personal best, to finish second behind Peeters (13.62s) in the other semi-final to qualify for the medal race.

Shourya had earlier won bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 2025 Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships in Dammam, Saudi Arabia in 13.80 seconds.

Shourya’s bronze was also India’s first athletics medal at Dakar 2026 and the country’s eighth medal overall at the edition, taking his tally to three silver and five bronze medals.

India’s three silver medals in Dakar were won by Khushba Rajakbhai Darjad in Judo, Tanvi Patri in Badminton and Taniya in Beach Wrestling.

Dhinidhi Desinghu, who won two swimming bronze medals, fellow swimmer Tirthank Pegu and wushu athlete Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu are the other Indian bronze medalists.

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