Singaporean wushu exponent Ng Zhe Nin secured a historic gold medal in the women’s taijiquan combined final at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, capping off years of practice on the mat.
To spectators, a wushu performance appears effortless with fluid movements, intricate spins, and precisely executed techniques. But behind those few minutes on the competition floor are years of painstaking practice, discipline, and attention to detail. It was reported that Ng spent about two years training the exact same routine every day to perfect every single movement.
That perseverance paid off at the Dakar Expo Center, where the 16-year-old finished with a combined score to claim the gold medal on Nov 3. As the final scores appeared on the screen, her immediate feeling was one of relief after three mentally exhausting days of competition.
Ng stated that winning was a goal she set for herself going into the Games, noting that seeing the first place beside her name confirmed she finally did it.
| Athlete | Country | Event | Medal / Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ng Zhe Nin | Singapore | Women’s Taijiquan Combined | Gold (9.360 points in final) |
| Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu | India | Wushu Event | Bronze |
| Mahib Amar | Senegal | Men’s Taijiquan / Taijishan | Preliminary Round |
Chasing that gold medal came at a high personal cost. The student had to fit hours of intensive training into her schedule while contending with academic pressure, school assignments, and homework. It was reported that the heavy training load often came at the expense of time spent with friends and family.
It was noted that Ng trained twice a day during her preparation, spending entire days at the training hall. Despite the physical and mental toll, her performance delivered Singapore’s first medal of the Dakar Games. Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong praised the achievement on Facebook, calling it a historic milestone as wushu made its official debut as a medal sport at the Youth Olympic Games.
The 2026 Youth Olympic Games marked the first time Chinese martial arts appeared as an official medal sport on the Olympic program, following decades of advocacy by the International Wushu Federation. It was reported that IOC President Kirsty Coventry visited the venue during the competitions to observe the sport’s global appeal and cross-cultural charm.
Following her victory in Senegal, Ng is turning her focus to the senior categories and future international competitions. It was reported that the teenager aims to sharpen her skills and take on new challenges on the bigger stage of the Asian Games as she grows older.
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Wushu marked a milestone in its Olympic journey as athletes from China, Egypt, Singapore and Hong Kong, China claimed the sport's first official Olympic gold medals at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games https://t.co/jCiYT5pohv pic.twitter.com/pQcaFZmgqP
Singapore has a Youth Olympic gold for the first time in 12 years as Ng Zhe Nin reigns in the girls' Taijiquan combined competition, topping the contest with an overall score of 18.713 points. 🥇 🇸🇬 Ng Zhe Nin 🥈 🇹🇼 Chu Yu-en 🥉 🇩🇪 Mia Zhuo#Dakar2026 #ComeAndPlay pic.twitter.com/Ilu9xvaJk1
