Golden performances by Yomif Abebe and Elsabet Amare helped Ethiopia to top of the medal table as athletics competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar concluded on Tuesday (10).

More Youth Olympic Games records fell on the third and final day of athletics action and Abebe was among the record-breakers as the 16-year-old finished fast to overpower Eritrea's Ghebreab Mantay in the closing stages of the 800m – 1:48.99 to 1:49.31. Uganda’s Timothy Cheptoek was third in 1:51.59 as the medallists all set PBs.

Amare, who set a world U18 mile best of 4:23.78 in June and finished fourth at the World U20 Championships in Oregon in August, clocked 4:28.02 for a clear 1500m win ahead of Kenya’s Abigael Chepkirui (4:29.86) and Eritrea’s Kanari Estifanos (4:31.10).

Ethiopia ended the three days of athletics competition at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop with five gold and three silver medals to top the table ahead of China with three gold, four silver and two bronze, and Kenya and Nigeria, each with three golds.

History was made in the men’s 200m as Ropafadzo Mzondo was roared to victory, winning a first ever Youth Olympic Games gold for Zimbabwe in 21.04. Deuquan' Farrell secured silver in a photo finish, gaining Guyana a first Youth Olympic Games medal in 21.36 – the same time run by Philippines’ bronze medallist Pi Durden Forward Wangkay.

Dominican Republic’s Patricia Sine held off the fast-finishing Tyra Fenton of Antigua & Barbuda to win the women’s 200m by 0.01 in a Youth Olympic Games record and national U18 record of 23.35, Fenton claiming a first medal in any Olympic competition for her nation.

South Africa’s Megan Nieman and Jamaica’s Jaeden Campbell also set Youth Olympic Games records, winning the 400m hurdles in 57.75 and 50.60, respectively.

Another first was achieved in the men’s javelin, Marko Kaethler throwing a PB of 73.49m to win Paraguay's first ever Olympic gold. 

Ukraine’s Milaniia Kokhan dominated the hammer, throwing a PB of 71.27m to win ahead of China’s Yang Xingyue (65.96m). Kokhan surpassed 70 metres with three of her throws, her best coming in the fifth round as she followed in the footsteps of her brother Mykhaylo Kokhan, the now Olympic bronze medallist who won the Youth Olympic Games title in Buenos Aires in 2018.

China’s Sheng Xuefeng jumped a world U18 lead and PB of 16.18m to win the triple jump, while Kuwait’s Yasmeen Roy won the high jump with a PB clearance of 1.80m. Zsófi Marton of Hungary won the shot put (16.47m) and France’s Axel Faye the pole vault (4.95m).

China’s Wang Yaru (22:58.33 PB) and Spain’s Gabriel Gonzalez (20:41.36) won the 5000m race walk titles.