Headline
Filipino sprinter Wangkay claims Youth Olympics bronze in dramatic photo finish
ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
November 12, 2026
Photo courtesy: Philippine News Agency
Filipino sprinter Pi Durden Forward Wangkay captured the bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter race at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, narrowly missing silver by just four-thousandths of a second.
The 17-year-old athlete from Biñan, Laguna, delivered a personal-best time of 21.36 seconds at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium in Dakar, securing the Philippines’ second medal of the competition.
Wangkay finished behind Zimbabwe’s Ropafadzo Mzondo, who claimed gold in 21.04 seconds, and Guyana’s Deuquan Farrell, who took silver in 21.36 seconds.
The battle for second place came down to a photo finish, with Farrell edging Wangkay by just 0.004 seconds despite both runners recording identical times when rounded to two decimal places.
The Filipino sprinter exceeded expectations after clocking 21.96 seconds in the semifinals, entering the final with the fifth-fastest qualifying time.
Competing from the outside lane, Wangkay pushed through the final stretch to earn a place on the podium.
“I never expected to win a medal because the times were very close, so I’m okay to get the third,” Wangkay said following the race.
His bronze medal came after fellow Filipino athlete Naomi Marjorie Cesar secured silver in the women’s 800-meter final with a time of 2 minutes and 9.34 seconds.
Together, their performances gave the Philippines two medals at the Dakar Games, marking the country’s most successful Youth Olympic campaign to date.
The results also brought the Philippines’ all-time Youth Olympic medal tally to three, following kiteboarder Christian Tio’s silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Wangkay, who previously won gold at the Asian Youth Games and represented the Philippines at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, added another international achievement to his growing athletics career.
His bronze-medal performance highlighted the Philippines’ emerging talent in track and field, with both of the country’s medals in Dakar coming from young Filipino runners.
