China secured one gold and one bronze in badminton on Thursday at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, highlighted by Zhang Yixin overcoming an intense late-game collapse to claim the women’s singles badminton title, as english.news.cn reported.
Zhu Yuanling and Other Athletes Secure Gold Medals
- Zhu Yuanling won the women’s street skateboarding title, becoming the first female skateboarder to win a Youth Olympic gold medal and setting her sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Xie Yichen claimed the men’s 50m breaststroke title despite still feeling unwell.
- Zhang Yixin rallied from a game down to beat India’s Tanvi Patri 15-21, 21-13, 26-24 in an 82-minute final, securing the women’s singles gold after seeing a 19-10 lead slip away in the deciding game.
Zhang Yixin Survives an 82-Minute Badminton Thriller
The women’s singles badminton final delivered maximum drama as Zhang Yixin rallied past India’s Tanvi Patri 15-21, 21-13, 26-24. Zhang looked comfortably on course for the title after building a dominant 19-10 advantage in the decisive third game.
Patri responded with a fierce counter-offensive, wiping out the deficit and forcing multiple match points. Zhang held firm under extreme pressure, saving three championship points before finally closing out the grueling 82-minute clash.
“I’ve been in similar situations this year, when I let a big lead slip and ended up losing. That experience helped me today,” Zhang said after the match. Chinese coach Guo Zhendong noted that while youth competitions often see wild momentum swings, Zhang’s composure stood out.
In the men’s singles bracket, Hong Tianyue captured the bronze medal by defeating South Korea’s Park Jung-bin. The tournament’s gold went to the United Arab Emirates’ Riyan Malhan, who swept past France’s Mady Sow to deliver his nation’s first-ever Youth Olympic gold medal.
Zhu Yuanling Makes Skateboarding History in Dakar
Zhu Yuanling claimed the women’s street skateboarding title, adding a Youth Olympic gold to her recent victory at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The 15-year-old became the first female skateboarder to win gold at the Youth Olympic Games.
“I made mistakes on my first two runs. If I hadn’t nailed the third one, probably wouldn’t have won this gold medal,” Zhu admitted.
With the Dakar competition concluded, Zhu immediately turned her focus toward the macro competition cycle, naming the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as her next primary target. She aims to debut a more complex routine featuring significantly higher-difficulty technical moves.
Xie Yichen Powers Through Illness to Take Swimming Gold
In the pool, 16-year-old Xie Yichen delivered a gritty performance to win the men’s 50m breaststroke in 28.13 seconds. Xie accomplished the feat despite dealing with a high fever and persistent diarrhea that forced his withdrawal from the 200m individual medley a day prior.
The victory capped a demanding campaign that left Xie with two golds and one silver. “I felt quite calm inside because I was physically so uncomfortable that I just didn’t have the extra energy to celebrate. But I was confident that I could take this gold,” Xie said.
| Athlete | Sport / Event | Medal | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhang Yixin | Badminton Women’s Singles | Gold | Saved three match points in an 82-minute final |
| Zhu Yuanling | Skateboarding Women’s Street | Gold | First female skateboarding YOG champion |
| Xie Yichen | Swimming Men’s 50m Breaststroke | Gold | Competed and won despite a high fever |
| Hong Tianyue | Badminton Men’s Singles | Bronze | Recovered from a previous-day loss to secure the podium |
Elsewhere in the natatorium, Romania’s Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu secured her second gold of the Games by winning the women’s 50m backstroke. Greece’s Nikolaos Papatheodorou and Portugal’s Miguel Reis Oliveira shared the men’s 50m backstroke crown after finishing dead even at 25.69 seconds. Japan’s Mana Ishikawa captured her fourth gold of the meet by winning the women’s 50m breaststroke.
Table Tennis and Multi-Sport Results Shape the Medal Table
In table tennis action, Chinese Taipei’s Chen Minhsin defeated Singapore’s Loy Ming Ying 4-2 to claim the women’s singles title. The win marks Chinese Taipei’s first-ever Youth Olympic gold in table tennis. Japan’s Ryuusei Kawakami mirrored that 4-2 scoreline against Colombia’s Emanuel Otalvaro to secure the men’s singles gold, adding to the mixed doubles title he previously won alongside Miku Matsushima.
Equestrian competition saw China’s Sun Ruirui finish seventh in the individual jumping qualifier round B, locking in a spot for Friday’s final. Meanwhile, Portugal’s Artur Gaspar secured the men’s triathlon gold, setting the stage for China’s Xu Enge to contest the women’s triathlon.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
