China's Sheng overcomes nerves to strike triple jump gold at Youth Olympics

China's Sheng Xuefeng overcame early nerves to win the men's triple jump gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Tuesday, producing a world under-18-leading leap of 16.18 meters on his international debut.

The 17-year-old's victory helped China finish its athletics campaign on a high, with two golds, one silver and one bronze on the final day of competition at Iba Mar Diop Stadium.

"I've brought glory to my country," Sheng said. "Taking the title has boosted my confidence. Standing there as the national anthem began to play, that sense of pride only deepened."

Despite competing in temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius and struggling with jet lag, Sheng took an early lead with an opening jump of 15.60 meters before improving to 15.74 meters in the second round.

"Back home, it's usually around 29 degrees Celsius, which feels much cooler. Being here for the first time, combined with the lingering jet lag, left my body feeling out of sync," he said.

"But that's just how sports are: you can't skip a contest just because you're uncomfortable. You have to do your best to adapt."

Despite his early lead, Sheng admitted he was far from comfortable.

"The warmups felt amazing. But once the competition started, I couldn't find my groove. Maybe it was the environment, or maybe my mindset was a bit off," he said.

"When that first jump landed, I was terrified. I thought: That's far from my best level. What am I going to do today? Am I really going to lose?"

His coach, Qiu Hong, was less concerned, believing Sheng had yet to reach his full speed on the runway.

"They gave us a cushion. In my estimation, that distance was practically enough to lock in a top-two finish," Qiu said of the opening two jumps.

"Sheng hadn't hit his full runway speed in the first two attempts due to the pressure of a major competition. By the third and fourth jumps, however, he would find his rhythm."

Sheng recalled his coach encouraging him to "dare to run and jump," drawing on his strength in accelerating through the final strides of his approach.

With his teammates waving Chinese flags and cheering from the stands, Sheng sought to put his nerves aside.

"I told myself not to get rattled. I'm here representing China, so I have to leave everything on the runway to bring home the gold medal," he said.

Sheng appeared to have found his form in the third round, only for his effort to be ruled a foul after he overstepped the takeoff board.

The pressure increased when Uzbekistan's Shakhzodbek Kholmurodov jumped a personal-best 15.71 meters, closing to within three centimeters of Sheng's lead.

But Sheng responded emphatically in the fourth round, soaring 16.18 meters to establish a personal best and the world's leading under-18 mark of the year, according to World Athletics.

"He had a slight problem with his footing, which threw off his takeoff angle a little," Qiu said. "But the kid showed real grit. He somehow corrected his body position in midair."

Sheng reported discomfort in his foot after landing and skipped his fifth attempt as a precaution.

With victory already secured, he returned for a final jump of 15.10 meters, encouraging spectators to clap along as he approached the runway.

The gold medal marked another milestone in Sheng's development. In August, he won the triple jump title at China's national youth games with a wind-assisted leap of 16.58 meters.

Sheng said his Dakar experience had taught him valuable lessons about handling pressure and preparing for major competitions.

"It taught me how to dial in my focus under pressure and structure my pre-meet warmup more thoroughly," he said. "Looking ahead, that lesson will be invaluable for the bigger stages down the road."

The teenager is now targeting the 17-meter mark as he prepares to move into the under-20 age group next year.

Qiu, however, stressed the importance of managing his athlete's development rather than chasing immediate results.

"My focus right now remains on his fundamentals and basic technique. We need to make sure we protect our young talent first, without rushing for specific results," he said.

"I believe he still has plenty of room to grow technically."

Sheng has been called up to train with China's national team alongside established athletes including Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Zhu Yaming.

"Most triple jumpers reach their peak around 24 or 25, whereas Sheng is only 17. We will take it step by step," Qiu said.

For Sheng, the experience of competing and winning on the international stage has strengthened his ambitions.

"Stepping into the U20 group next year, I'm ready to push myself to even greater heights," he said.