The untold story of Matar Diop, Senegal’s first medalist at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

Senegalese judoka Matar Diop won bronze in the under-66 kg category at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, earning Senegal its first medal at the home-hosted event. After defeating Peru’s Perea Valle Jesus in the round of 16, he lost to Ukraine’s Khazar Kheydarov in the quarterfinals, then won twice in the repechage to reach the bronze-medal bout. He beat France’s Nathan Gbingbehi with a waza-ari scored in the final seconds. Diop had previously won bronze at the African Under-17 Championships.