Ukrainian track and field athlete Milaniia Kokhan won the gold medal in the hammer throw at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games held in Dakar, Senegal.
The 17-year-old athlete secured victory with a throw of 71.27 meters, which also marked a new personal record for her. Kokhan immediately took the lead during the competition on her very first attempt with a throw of 70.71 meters. She further improved her distance on her fifth attempt, solidifying her first-place finish and the gold medal.
The silver medal went to Yang Xinyue of China, who recorded a throw of 65.96 meters, while Alison Aylin Salinas Espino of Mexico claimed the bronze medal with a throw of 61.52 meters.
With this win, Milaniia matched the achievement of her older brother, Mikhail Kokhan, who previously won the hammer throw championship at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018. Prior to her success in Dakar, Kokhan also won the U18 European Championship in Rieti, Italy, in July 2026 with a throw of 70.19 meters.
Kokhan’s victory marks Ukraine’s second gold medal and sixth overall award at the Youth Olympics in Dakar, bringing the country’s total medal count to two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
