Dakar:"Frame" Tanakorn Daengmanee, a 16-year-old Thai athlete, made history by securing a bronze medal in the men's pole vault at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games held in Dakar, Senegal. Daengmanee achieved a record-breaking vault of 4.85 meters, marking the first-ever bronze medal for Thailand in athletics at the Youth Olympic Games. The gold medal was claimed by Axel Faye of France with a height of 4.95 meters, while Cruz Tovar Carlo of Mexico took silver with the same height as Daengmanee.
According to Thai News Agency, in the windsurfing event, 14-year-old Thai windsurfer "Bew" Itthipol Yomjinda is currently in a promising position with a chance to win a medal. Competing in the Techno 293 Boys Under 17 category, Yomjinda placed third after 9 races with only 31 penalty points. Evangelos Kyriazakos of Greece leads the event with 8 penalty points, followed by Hoi Tik Ng of Hong Kong with 15 penalty points.
In the Techno 293 Girls Under 17 category, 14-year-old Porpawit Butte, nicknamed "Venus," finished 9th with 53 penalty points after completing all 9 races. The leader of this category is Laura Glasso Castagnetta from Italy, who has accumulated 13 penalty points.
Mr. Phatthana Boonsawat, Secretary-General of the Windsurfing Association of Thailand, commented on the young athletes' strong mental resilience and confidence when competing against older athletes. He noted that their performance has been satisfactory and emphasized that coaches have been advised to ensure the athletes remain relaxed and adhere to planned strategies for the upcoming races. The windsurfing competition will continue from November 8-12, consisting of a total of 15 races.