By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwe’s Rachel O’Donoghue finished 18th in the women’s triathlon at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Friday and said racing at the first Olympic event in Africa was the culmination of a three-year goal.
O’Donoghue finished in 1hr 05min 07sec, 6:09 behind Switzerland’s Kimey Casanova, who won in 58:58.
She was the second African home among the 32 finishers, behind South Africa’s Taylor Foster, who was fifth in 1:00:34.
Egypt’s Joudy Fathy was 22nd, Algeria’s Saleha Nerddjes Berrached 27th, Mauritius’s Keira Rajabalee 29th and Senegal’s Coura Sall 31st.
“This was my long-term goal for the last three years and it was amazing,” O’Donoghue told Olympics.com.
“It motivated me a lot to train even harder. I love it, it’s my life.”
O’Donoghue found out she had been selected for Dakar at the start of the year. She started in eighth position, and her 21-second first transition was among the fastest in the field.
She said the African triathletes’ friendships went beyond the race. She met Foster through competing at events together, and the pair were roommates at a development camp in Kenya before the Games.
“We were always quite intimidated by each other until we realised that we both wanted the same thing,” she said. “We push each other to our limits, but off the course we’re best friends.”
She said the continent’s triathlon scene was growing.
“In the time that I’ve been racing, it’s definitely grown,” O’Donoghue said. “It’s amazing to have more people going to races together, having that community outside of Africa when we race and just being at races together.”
“It is an amazing community we’ve got,” she added. “We race hard on the course but off the course we’re all good friends.”
She said she hoped for an African winner at the top of an Olympic podium.
“Hopefully on the top step of the podium,” O’Donoghue said. “Africa is on the rise.”
Switzerland’s Kimey Casanova won gold in 58 minutes 58 seconds. Hungary’s Jázmin Kropkó took silver, 21 seconds back, and Estonia’s Evamaria Albert took bronze, 39 seconds behind the winner. Foster was 57 seconds off the podium.
