Zain Ali Tops the 50m Butterfly Heats as Kotze Books a Sprint Double in Dakar

Egypt's 100m butterfly champion qualifies fastest by more than half a second, South Africa's Eric Kotze reaches both the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly finals, Kenya's Jeremy Rieck books another butterfly final, and Nigeria's K.E. Obatoyinbo heads to a swim-off, as 65 African swimmers from 36 nations race on day four

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DAKAR, Senegal, Wednesday 4 November 2026 – Zain Ali's gold medal in the 100m butterfly on Sunday was no one-off. The Egyptian returned to the pool on day four at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and topped the men's 50m butterfly heats in 24.00, 0.67 seconds clear of the next-fastest qualifier, Cyprus's Andrew Marcus Laghoutis (24.67).

South Africa's Eric Kotze, 16, was the morning's breakout name. He qualified fifth for both the men's 50m freestyle final (23.54) and the men's 50m butterfly final (24.86), making him the only African swimmer through to two finals today.

Kenya's Jeremy Rieck joined them in the 50m butterfly final, and Nigeria's K.E. Obatoyinbo tied for eighth in the 50m freestyle and now faces a swim-off for the last place in the final.

It was also the biggest African morning of the Games so far. Sixty-five African swimmers from 36 nations raced across the six events at the Complexe Tour de l'Oeuf, with Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Niger appearing for the first time in our Dakar coverage.

Ali: Fastest by a Distance

Ali swam in the sixth and final heat of the men's 50m butterfly and won it from lane four. In an event usually decided by hundredths, his 24.00 left a gap of 0.67 seconds to the second qualifier and 0.72 to Serbia's Aleksej Kalanj, who took silver behind him in the 100m butterfly. He goes into this afternoon's final as the man to beat.

Kotze: Two Events, Two Finals

Kotze swam two very different races and got the same result in both. In the 50m freestyle he was second in heat six in 23.54 and fifth overall, 0.89 behind Czech top qualifier Zdenek Prochazka (22.65). In the 50m butterfly he was second in heat five behind Laghoutis in 24.86, again fifth overall.

Rieck Adds Another Final

Kenya's Jeremy Rieck, sixth in Sunday's 100m butterfly final and first reserve in Tuesday's 100m backstroke, qualified sixth in the 50m butterfly in 25.05, finishing third in the same heat as Kotze. It is his second final of the Games.

Madagascar's Tendry Rakotobe just missed out, tenth in 25.62 and only 0.28 outside the final. Namibia's Nathan Bock (12th, 25.66), Nigeria's Aidan Dumuje-Abili (15th, 26.05, with a 0.60 reaction, joint-second-fastest in the field) and Zambia's Joshua Mulenga (16th, 26.06) also finished inside the top 16. Gabon's Ozavino Ngaka won the first heat in 31.50.

In all, 22 African swimmers from 22 nations raced the men's 50m butterfly. Rwanda's Ntwali Jayden, 14, was the youngest swimmer in the field.

Obatoyinbo's Swim-Off, Torki in Reserve

The men's 50m freestyle produced the tightest finish of the morning. Nigeria's K.E. Obatoyinbo, 16, finished second in heat five in 23.67, exactly the same time as the Bahamas' Christon Joseph. The two are tied for eighth and will swim off for the final place.

Algeria's Salaheddine Torki, a finalist in both the 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle, was tenth in 23.89, 0.22 outside the tie, and is listed as reserve. Zambia's Joshua Mulenga was just 0.02 behind him in 11th (23.91), and Ghana's Kelvin Abdallah was 13th in 24.21.

Burkina Faso's Alexandre Irfaan Bamba had the fastest reaction of all 55 swimmers (0.55). Tanzania's Zack Okumu won heat two in 26.40, and Rwanda's Ntwali Jayden was again the youngest in the field. Twenty-five African swimmers from 24 nations raced the event.

Women's 50m Freestyle: Johnsen Leads 21 Nations

Zimbabwe's Alexis Johnsen was the fastest African in the women's 50m freestyle for the second sprint in a row, 12th in 26.98 and 0.33 outside the final. Behind her, Nigeria's Kristabel Chisa Oldeide (16th, 27.38), Cabo Verde's Kayra Tati (18th, 27.48) and Botswana's Melodi Saleshando (19th, 27.63) all finished inside the top 20.

Senegal's 14-year-old Marta Alodia Biagini won heat five in 27.70 for 21st overall, and Ghana's Jada Yankey, also 14, was 23rd in 27.87. Guinea's Fatoumata Diaraye Bah and Benin's Etoile Agbodjogbe also won their heats.

With 21 swimmers from 21 nations in a field of 68, it was Africa's broadest representation in a single women's event so far.

Women's 50m Butterfly: Matyayi the Fastest African

Namibia's Roselinda Matyayi was 15th in 29.32, the fastest of 15 African swimmers from 15 nations. Tunisia's Ilef Omri (17th, 29.65), Senegal's Seyni Fagueye Ndiaye (20th, 29.90) and Botswana's Melodi Saleshando (21st, 29.95) all broke 30 seconds. Mozambique's Angela Chicumbe and Ghana's Jada Yankey, both 14, finished 24th and 25th, separated by only 0.04.

200m Individual Medley: Three African Reserves

The medley events had small fields of 13, and three African swimmers finished immediately behind the eight finalists. In the women's 200m IM, Kenya's Macrine Kalombo (2:35.23) and Uganda's Zara Marie Mbanga (2:35.56), the youngest swimmer in the event, were ninth and tenth and are the two reserves. Tanzania's Filbertha Demello (12th, 2:51.65) and Côte d'Ivoire's Malika Erina Aidy Camara (13th, 3:06.70, with the second-fastest reaction in the field) completed the African entries.

In the men's 200m IM, Zambia's Mulenga Cole, already a 400m freestyle and 100m butterfly swimmer at these Games, was tenth in 2:17.87, just 0.22 behind first reserve Reynard Delian Purwanto of Indonesia, and is second reserve.

Looking Ahead to the Afternoon Finals

Ali and Kotze in the men's 50m butterfly, Kotze in the men's 50m freestyle, Rieck in the 50m butterfly, and possibly Obatoyinbo after his swim-off: Africa has at least four finals swims this afternoon, with the continent's medal tally standing at four. The swimming programme at Dakar 2026 continues at the Complexe Tour de l'Oeuf.

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Results: African Swimmers – Day 4 Heats

African Finalists, Swim-Off and Reserves

Event	Swimmer	NOC	Heats Rank	Time	Status
Men's 50m Butterfly	Zain ALI	EGY	1	24.00	Final
Men's 50m Butterfly	Eric KOTZE	RSA	5	24.86	Final
Men's 50m Butterfly	Jeremy RIECK	KEN	6	25.05	Final
Men's 50m Freestyle	Eric KOTZE	RSA	5	23.54	Final
Men's 50m Freestyle	K.E. OBATOYINBO	NGR	8=	23.67	Swim-off
Men's 50m Freestyle	Salaheddine TORKI	ALG	10	23.89	Reserve
Women's 200m IM	Macrine KALOMBO	KEN	9	2:35.23	Reserve 1
Women's 200m IM	Zara Marie MBANGA	UGA	10	2:35.56	Reserve 2
Men's 200m IM	Mulenga COLE	ZAM	10	2:17.87	Reserve 2

Women's 50m Freestyle – Heats (Field: 68; Final Cut-Off 26.65)

Rank	Swimmer	NOC	Age	Heat (Lane)	R.T.	Time
12	Alexis JOHNSEN	ZIM	16	9 (2)	0.65	26.98
16	Kristabel Chisa OLDEIDE	NGR	15	8 (1)	0.67	27.38
18	Kayra TATI	CPV	17	7 (6)	0.69	27.48
19	Melodi SALESHANDO	BOT	17	9 (7)	0.63	27.63
21	Marta Alodia BIAGINI	SEN	14	5 (3)	0.63	27.70
23	Jada YANKEY	GHA	14	6 (5)	0.66	27.87
32	Angela CHICUMBE	MOZ	14	6 (1)	0.70	28.30
33	Isabelle MWANGI	KEN	16	5 (4)	0.65	28.39
39	Dorianne BRISTOL	SEY	17	6 (7)	0.60	28.74
41	Maria PARIMBELLI	ANG	15	4 (3)	0.70	29.04
48	Lois Eliora IRISHURA	BDI	16	5 (6)	0.71	29.51
49	Sibongile MITI	ZAM	16	4 (8)	0.67	29.63
52	Aragsan MUGABO	RWA	15	3 (2)	0.79	29.94
55	Fatoumata Diaraye BAH	GUI	15	2 (3)	0.69	30.56
59	Danielle KANJADZA	MAW	15	2 (5)	0.67	32.09
60	Samrawit Demilie AKELE	ETH	16	2 (4)	0.75	32.11
62	Ceylia DJEUTCHA	CMR	17	3 (7)	0.71	32.42
63	Axelle TCHATAT	CGO	15	2 (6)	0.76	34.35
65	Etoile AGBODJOGBE	BEN	16	1 (4)	0.83	36.12
66	S.R.W. GUIGMA	BUR	16	1 (5)	0.78	36.14
68	Fatou D SABALLY	GAM	15	1 (6)	0.78	43.25

Men's 50m Freestyle – Heats (Field: 55; Swim-Off for 8th at 23.67)

Rank	Swimmer	NOC	Age	Heat (Lane)	R.T.	Time
5 Q	Eric KOTZE	RSA	16	6 (4)	0.62	23.54
8= SO	K.E. OBATOYINBO	NGR	16	5 (4)	0.67	23.67
10 R	Salaheddine TORKI	ALG	16	6 (6)	0.61	23.89
11	Joshua MULENGA	ZAM	17	6 (3)	0.62	23.91
13	Kelvin ABDALLAH	GHA	16	7 (1)	0.63	24.21
21	Peterson INHENSIKO	UGA	17	4 (7)	0.63	24.73
25	Santiago GUIMARAES	ANG	16	6 (7)	0.59	25.01
28	Shalom TEVOEDJRE	BEN	17	4 (2)	0.70	25.15
30	Austin OKORE	TAN	17	5 (8)	0.64	25.33
33	Neo OLENGO	KEN	16	3 (2)	0.61	25.59
34	Lazaro MENETE	MOZ	17	4 (3)	0.73	25.61
35	Tema MODIRELABANGWE	BOT	16	3 (6)	0.62	25.71
39	Nasri JEAN BAPTISTE	SEY	15	3 (7)	0.71	26.36
40	Zack OKUMU	TAN	15	2 (5)	0.70	26.40
41	Myles GONCALVES	CPV	16	3 (1)	0.66	26.45
42	Jehu MATONDO BOSANGE ZOZO	COD	17	2 (4)	0.75	26.58
43	Ntwali JAYDEN	RWA	14	2 (1)	0.69	27.15
44	Dagim Kiros HABTE	ETH	16	2 (3)	0.73	27.17
47	Abba M. MAMANE HAMISSOU	NIG	17	2 (8)	0.78	28.55
48	Younoussa MAIGA	MLI	16	2 (7)	0.72	28.60
49	Ozavino NGAKA	GAB	15	1 (5)	0.68	28.77
50	Alexandre Irfaan BAMBA	BUR	17	1 (6)	0.55	29.20
51	Ariel Hakim NKURUNZIZA	BDI	17	1 (4)	0.75	29.21
54	Djani CA	GBS	16	1 (7)	0.76	30.52
55	Peter BEWIE	SLE	17	1 (2)	0.59	30.63

Women's 50m Butterfly – Heats (Field: 40)

Rank	Swimmer	NOC	Age	Heat (Lane)	R.T.	Time
15	Roselinda MATYAYI	NAM	16	3 (2)	0.73	29.32
17	Ilef OMRI	TUN	16	3 (8)	0.62	29.65
20	Seyni Fagueye NDIAYE	SEN	16	3 (1)	0.73	29.90
21	Melodi SALESHANDO	BOT	17	4 (7)	0.66	29.95
22	O.T. AKINSANMI	NGR	16	4 (8)	0.63	30.47
24	Angela CHICUMBE	MOZ	14	2 (6)	0.70	30.92
25	Jada YANKEY	GHA	14	2 (4)	0.68	30.96
26	Filbertha DEMELLO	TAN	17	5 (8)	0.87	31.03
29	Kayra TATI	CPV	17	4 (1)	0.72	31.20
31	Dorianne BRISTOL	SEY	17	2 (5)	0.64	31.76
36	Fatoumata Diaraye BAH	GUI	15	1 (7)	0.69	34.42
37	Kalisa KEZA	RWA	15	1 (8)	0.83	36.11
38	Samrawit Demilie AKELE	ETH	16	1 (2)	0.77	36.29
39	Danielle KANJADZA	MAW	15	1 (1)	0.77	38.34
40	Axelle TCHATAT	CGO	15	1 (6)	0.78	39.06

Men's 50m Butterfly – Heats (Field: 42; Final Cut-Off 25.34)

Rank	Swimmer	NOC	Age	Heat (Lane)	R.T.	Time
1 Q	Zain ALI	EGY	17	6 (4)	0.66	24.00
5 Q	Eric KOTZE	RSA	16	5 (4)	0.64	24.86
6 Q	Jeremy RIECK	KEN	16	5 (3)	0.67	25.05
10	Tendry RAKOTOBE	MAD	17	4 (5)	0.60	25.62
12	Nathan BOCK	NAM	17	4 (6)	0.65	25.66
15	Aidan DUMUJE-ABILI	NGR	15	6 (2)	0.60	26.05
16	Joshua MULENGA	ZAM	17	6 (7)	0.63	26.06
25	Santiago GUIMARAES	ANG	16	3 (5)	0.60	26.87
26	Tasunje MKAVEA	MAW	16	5 (8)	0.64	27.01
27	Peterson INHENSIKO	UGA	17	3 (6)	0.66	27.33
28	Matteo Leon BIAGINI	SEN	17	4 (8)	0.64	27.39
29	Tema MODIRELABANGWE	BOT	16	3 (3)	0.63	27.45
30	Austin OKORE	TAN	17	3 (2)	0.62	27.70
32	K.M. NKOMAZANA	ZIM	16	3 (1)	0.64	28.28
33	Ntwali JAYDEN	RWA	14	2 (6)	0.71	28.66
34	Jehu MATONDO BOSANGE ZOZO	COD	17	2 (3)	0.72	28.89
35	Jerry YOSSA	CMR	14	2 (1)	0.74	29.00
36	Myles GONCALVES	CPV	16	2 (5)	0.76	29.53
37	Younoussa MAIGA	MLI	16	2 (2)	0.80	30.21
38	Ozavino NGAKA	GAB	15	1 (5)	0.71	31.50
39	Ariel Hakim NKURUNZIZA	BDI	17	2 (8)	0.82	32.58
41	Abba M. MAMANE HAMISSOU	NIG	17	2 (7)	0.76	33.52
DNS	Djani CA	GBS	16	1 (6)	–	DNS

Women's 200m Individual Medley – Heats (Field: 13; Final Cut-Off 2:29.50)

Rank	Swimmer	NOC	Age	Heat (Lane)	50m	100m	150m	Time
9 R	Macrine KALOMBO	KEN	16	2 (7)	31.21	1:13.11	1:58.65	2:35.23
10 R	Zara Marie MBANGA	UGA	15	1 (2)	32.42	1:14.63	1:58.81	2:35.56
12	Filbertha DEMELLO	TAN	17	1 (7)	34.17	1:16.77	2:12.06	2:51.65
13	Malika Erina Aidy CAMARA	CIV	16	2 (1)	37.22	1:24.43	2:22.18	3:06.70

Men's 200m Individual Medley – Heats (Field: 13; Final Cut-Off 2:15.04)

Rank	Swimmer	NOC	Age	Heat (Lane)	50m	100m	150m	Time
10 R	Mulenga COLE	ZAM	17	1 (7)	27.92	1:02.51	1:46.62	2:17.87
DSQ	Dagim Kiros HABTE	ETH	16	1 (8)	–	–	–	DSQ

Session Participation

Event	African Swimmers	Field	African Finalists
Women's 50m Freestyle	21	68	0
Men's 50m Freestyle	25	55	1 (plus 1 swim-off)
Women's 50m Butterfly	15	40	0
Men's 50m Butterfly	22	42	3
Women's 200m IM	4	13	0
Men's 200m IM	1	13	0
Total (swims)	88	231	4 (plus 1 swim-off)

65 individual African swimmers from 36 nations: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

African Swimming Medal Tracker – Dakar 2026 (Cumulative)

Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Egypt	1	0	0	1
South Africa	0	2	1	3
Africa Total	1	2	1	4

No medals were decided in the heats. Ages as at 4 November 2026, from dates of birth on the results.

Sources: Official Results Summaries, Events 17–22, Heats, Dakar 2026 (Wednesday 4 November 2026).

Copyright: Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC. Olympic Information Services OIS.

Credit: OIS/Joel Marklund

Creator: Joel Marklund for OIS/IOC

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