Thailand claims historic first athletics medal at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics
Seventeen-year-old Thanakorn Daengmanee clears 4.85 metres to win bronze in the men's pole vault, securing Thailand's first medal at Dakar 2026 and its first-ever Youth Olympic athletics podium.
Thailand's 17-year-old pole vaulter Thanakorn Daengmanee has won bronze at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, delivering the country's first medal of the competition and a landmark achievement for Thai athletics.
Daengmanee cleared 4.85 metres in the men's pole vault to secure third place, marking Thailand's first-ever Youth Olympic medal in athletics. The result represents a significant milestone for the country's track and field programme, which had not previously reached the podium at the Youth Olympic Games.
The bronze medal also gives Thailand an early breakthrough at the fourth edition of the Youth Olympics, being held in Dakar, Senegal. The competition brings together young athletes from around the world, providing a platform for emerging talent to compete internationally and gain experience on a major multi-sport stage.
At just 17, Daengmanee's performance places him among the young athletes to watch in Asian athletics. His achievement offers a boost to Thailand's ambitions in developing its next generation of track and field competitors.
The medal is particularly significant because it is not only Thailand's first at Dakar 2026 but also the country's first Youth Olympic medal in athletics, giving the achievement a place in Thai sporting history.
