Kaethler Wins Javelin Gold at Dakar Youth Games
The 17-year-old Paraguayan's final throw of 73.49 metres secured his country's first Youth Olympic gold medal.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Track & Field
Marko Kaethler of Paraguay won the boys' javelin at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with a personal-best throw of 73.49 metres on his sixth and final attempt. The victory gave Paraguay its first Youth Olympic Games gold medal.
Why it matters
The result marks a first for Paraguay at the Youth Olympic Games and extends its record of Olympic success beyond its single senior medal, the football silver at Athens 2004. It also highlights emerging javelin talent from outside the traditional strongholds of the event.
Kaethler's 73.49-metre winning throw was a personal best and finished 1.77 metres clear of Colombia's Dilan Graciano, who threw 71.72 metres for silver. Moldova's Vladimir Culis took bronze with 67.43 metres, and the source does not report how these marks compare with prior Youth Olympic finals.
The players
Marko Kaethler
The 17-year-old Paraguayan javelin thrower won the boys' gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Dilan Graciano
The Colombian javelin thrower took silver in the boys' event with a throw of 71.72 metres.
Vladimir Culis
The Moldovan javelin thrower took bronze in the boys' event with a throw of 67.43 metres.
The details
The final was held at the Iba Mar Diop stadium complex in Dakar, and Kaethler clinched the title with the last throw of the competition. No Paraguayan had previously won a Youth Olympic Games gold medal before this result.
Timeline
31 October 2026: Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games begin.
10 November 2026: Kaethler wins the boys' javelin final.
13 November 2026: The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games close.
Season Trajectory
Paraguay's only prior senior Olympic medal was the under-23 men's football silver at Athens 2004, so this first Youth Olympic gold adds a new milestone to a thin national record. The result shows a young athlete breaking through at a multi-sport event rather than in the senior ranks.
Kaethler's gold is Paraguay's first Youth Olympic Games title, so the result changes the national medal tally for the event. Javelin results from the Games are now part of the standings readers can track through the Dakar 2026 competition schedule.
The takeaway
Kaethler's gold shows that a single final throw can decide a Youth Olympic title, as his last attempt pushed him 1.77 metres clear of the silver medallist. Young athletes from less-decorated nations can still reach the top of the podium at these Games.
Further reading
For more on the sport, see Track & Field.
