Dakar 2026: Stephanie Nsimba Manzanza wins DR Congo's first Olympic medal
The beach wrestler took bronze at the Youth Olympic Games, ending a 58-year wait for a Congolese medal.
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Dakar — Stephanie Nsimba Manzanza has won the Democratic Republic of the Congo's first Olympic medal, taking bronze in beach wrestling at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Saturday.
She won three bouts on the first day of the competition, lost her semi-final to a Japanese wrestler, and then beat a wrestler from Azerbaijan in the bronze-medal match.
The website Actualite.cd called it a historic moment for Congolese sport, ending a wait of 58 years for an Olympic medal.
Against the odds
The Congolese team was not among the favourites in Dakar, and Actualite.cd reports that preparation was limited and that the delegation travelled to the Senegalese capital without state support.
DR Congo is competing in seven sports at the Games, Africa's first Olympic event: wrestling, cycling, taekwondo, judo, swimming, fencing and beach volleyball.
Source: Actualite.cd (in French), 7 November 2026.
