"VAN" (Sports Desk - 06.11.2026) :: History was made once again on day five of swimming at the Youth Olympic Games, as Japan’s Mana Ishikawa became the first athlete ever to win four individual gold medals at a single edition of the Games.
The landmark day also witnessed a shared gold medal in the Men's 50m Backstroke and more record-breaking performances from the future stars in Dakar.
Silisteanu completes Backstroke double
Romania’s Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu claimed gold in the Women's 50m Backstroke with a time of 27.93, following up on her 100m victory on Tuesday to claim her third medal overall and set a new national record in the process.
“I’m so proud of my result. This medal, all of them, are so important to me. This pool is amazing, it leads to some great results,” she said.
Korea’s Seungwon Kim, the world junior champion, took silver in 28.21, while Argentina’s Cecilia Dieleke secured bronze in 28.83, adding another achievement to an impressive year that has already included seven medals at the South American Youth Games.
Papatheodorou and Oliveira share 50m Backstrokdouble
There was a rare dead heat for gold in the Men's 50m Backstroke as Greece’s Nikolaos Papatheodorou and Portugal’s Miguel Reis Oliveira both touched in 25.69.
The result delivered Greece its first swimming gold at the Youth Olympic Games and Portugal its first-ever swimming medal in the Youth Olympic Games.
For Papatheodorou, the victory marked his third medal of the Games, following bronze in the 200m and silver in the 100m Backstroke.
“My collection is complete now. I’m very happy and proud of myself,” he said.
Oliveira was equally delighted to share the moment with his friend: “It’s another dream, I guess. I’m very happy with it, I’m happy to share it with this guy.”
Belgium’s Alexander van Hoey Billiet took bronze in 25.91, becoming the first Belgian male swimmer to win a Youth Olympic medal.
The tie for gold marked the seventh dead heat for a swimming medal in Youth Olympic history and the third time a Backstroke event has produced shared gold.
Ishikawa claims unprecedented fourth gold with Women’s 50m Breaststroke victory
The moment of the day belonged to Japan’s Mana Ishikawa. Already victorious in the 100m and 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley, she claimed her fourth individual gold in 31.76, setting a new personal best.
She becomes the first athlete in Youth Olympic Games history to win four individual gold medals at a single edition.
“When I got into the pool for the final, I was very determined to get the win. I was just set on doing that, really,” she said.
Lebanon’s Thea Obeid made history with silver in 32.00, earning her country's first-ever swimming medal and becoming Lebanon’s first female Youth Olympic medallist in any sport. Hong Kong’s Wui Kiu Man took bronze in 32.04, her second medal of the Games.
Xie Yichen Completes Breaststroke Sprint Double with Men’s 50m Gold
China’s 16-year-old Xie Yichen secured another gold in 28.13, completing the 50m and 100m Breaststroke double despite feeling unwell earlier in the day. Japan’s Iori Miyazaki claimed silver in 28.42, his fourth medal of the Games, while Maksim Mashliakevich took bronze in 28.46.
“I can consider it quite fulfilling. There were twists and turns along the way, but overall, it was really good. Getting a gold is a perfect finishing touch,” Xie reflected.
With records broken, nations celebrating landmark firsts and Mana Ishikawa rewriting the Youth Olympic history books, day five delivered another unforgettable chapter.
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