Puerto Rican sprinter Manuel Pérez finished fifth in the 100-meter final at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, November 8, running 10.88 seconds to set a new personal best. His previous best was 10.91 seconds, set earlier this year. Nigerian Gift Bright won gold in 10.28 seconds, and the other two podium places were decided with times of 10.57 and 10.61 seconds.
Earlier on Sunday, the 16-year-old Pérez secured his place in the final by finishing third in the second semifinal in 10.94 seconds. Bright also won that heat, stopping the clock at 10.34 seconds for the fastest time among the runners in both semifinals. With Pérez’s result, Puerto Rico now has three fifth-place finishes at Dakar 2026.
Steven Moreno and Esmeralda Butler had previously reached that same position in table tennis and skateboarding, respectively.