Swimmer Ajido, wushu bet Polo plunge into action in Youth Olympic Games

DAKAR —Jamesray Mishael Ajido plunges into action in swimming and Angel Polo brings her young act in wushu as competitions kick off on Sunday, a day after Africa welcomed close to 3,000 athletes to the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that’s being played for the first time in the African continent. Ajido swims in the third of four heats for the men’s 100 meters butterfly at 10:54 a.m. (6:54 p.m. in Manila) at the Complexe Tour de l’Ceuf pool, while Polo vies for a final 8 seat against 10 opponents in the preliminary round of women’s Taijishian at the Diamniadio Expo Centre starting at 10:12 a.m. (6:12 p.m. in Manila). “I hope to do my best here, because these are the YOG and it’s already a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be here,” said Ajido, 17, and an 11th grader at Homeschool Global. “I trained very hard for months for this.” It would be a swim against the tide for Ajido—silver medalist at the 2024 Southeast Asian age-group championships and a Palarong Pambansa record holder—in the event where 31 swimmers will be targeting the eight berths in the final scheduled 3:32 p.m. (Dakar time) also on Sunday. Polo, who’ll turn 16 this...