Lahiru creates history with Youth Olympic silver

Middle-distance runner Lahiru Achintha of Sri Lanka achieved a historic moment at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal by winning a silver medal in the men's 1500 metres race. Achintha clocked 3:59.08, finishing 0.35 seconds behind Ethiopia's Wabi Seblega, who claimed the gold medal with a time of 3:58.73. Spain's Alex Sangil secured the bronze with a time of 3:59.70.

Achintha, representing Prince College Ratnapura, made a remarkable performance in the final, having led the race for the first two laps. Despite strong competition, he managed to secure the silver medal in the last lap. This achievement marks the best performance by a Sri Lankan at these Youth Olympic Games and makes Achintha only the second Sri Lankan to win a medal at the event.

Prior to this, Sri Lanka's only medal at the Youth Olympics was Parami Wasanthi Maristell's bronze in the women's 2000m steeplechase during the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. As a representative of Prince College Ratnapura, Achintha had been considered a top medal prospect after excelling in various regional international events, including the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.

At the Asian Youth Games, the 16-year-old Achintha set a Games-record time of 3:57.42 to win the title. He entered the Youth Olympics with a personal best of 3:53.05 and a season-best time of 3:56.63, although he could not reach his full potential due to being 'boxed' during the middle of the third lap.