Abdellatif Ladimat won bronze in the men’s under-48 kg taekwondo event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Secured on Sunday, November 8, in the Senegalese capital, the result delivered Morocco’s first medal of this edition. It therefore opened the delegation’s medal account during a competition that was scheduled to continue in Senegal until November 13, leaving further events to be contested after his podium finish.
The bronze gives Ladimat’s result particular significance for the Moroccan delegation. Beyond placing him among the medal winners in his category, it put Morocco on the medal table at these Games. The scope of that achievement should remain precise: it was Morocco’s first medal at this edition of the Youth Olympic Games, rather than an unprecedented Moroccan medal across every Olympic or taekwondo competition.
A difficult opening to the semifinal
Ladimat’s route to bronze was decided in a closely contested semifinal against France’s Maxence Botta. The Moroccan athlete lost the match by two rounds to one after a contest featuring substantial changes in momentum. Botta took firm control of the opening round, winning it 14-3 and placing Ladimat under immediate pressure in their men’s under-48 kg encounter before the Moroccan mounted a response.
Losing the first round by an eleven-point margin meant Ladimat had to respond to keep his hopes of reaching the final alive. The 14-3 score reflected Botta’s clear opening advantage, but it did not describe the entire semifinal. The next round brought a pronounced shift, as Ladimat recovered from another early deficit and created the opportunity for a deciding third round between the two competitors.
Ladimat answers in the second round
The second round also began with Ladimat behind, as Botta moved into a 4-0 lead. Ladimat then reversed the pattern of the contest and won the round 20-9, drawing the semifinal level at one round apiece. His recovery after the opening-round defeat completely renewed the contest and sent the two taekwondo athletes into a decisive third round that would determine which of them advanced to the final.
The 20-9 score shows the scale of Ladimat’s response during this part of the semifinal. After conceding the first four points, he did enough to take the round by an eleven-point margin. A match that had begun with Botta in control was therefore level after two rounds. The final place would be settled in a third round that also remained unresolved until its closing moments.
A lead lost in the final moments
Ladimat moved ahead during the deciding round and led 16-7 shortly before the end. That nine-point advantage put him in a favorable position, but Botta recovered in the final moments and tied the score at 16-16. The round was ultimately awarded to the French athlete on the superiority criterion, giving Botta a two-rounds-to-one victory and a place in the men’s under-48 kg final.
The conclusion shows how late the semifinal turned. Ladimat held a nine-point lead shortly before the finish, only for Botta to draw level at 16-16. With the scores tied, the superiority criterion decided the round in the French athlete’s favor and consequently settled the match. Ladimat did not reach the final, but his performance still ended with a place at the bronze-medal level in Dakar.
The complete men’s under-48 kg podium
Egypt’s Youssef Hassan Kamal won gold in the men’s under-48 kg event, while Botta took silver after defeating Ladimat in the semifinal. Moldova’s Dmitrii Balagula shared the bronze-medal level with the Moroccan athlete. This complete podium places Ladimat’s achievement accurately among the category’s four medal winners without presenting him as a finalist or suggesting that he secured either the gold or silver medal.
The medals in the men’s under-48 kg category were among the first taekwondo medals awarded at Dakar 2026. Morocco’s bronze therefore came during the early medal events in the sport. In that setting, Ladimat’s result combines two verified achievements: he finished at the bronze-medal level in his category, and he became the athlete who opened Morocco’s medal account at this edition of the Youth Olympic Games.
An opening result while the Games continued
For Morocco, Ladimat’s bronze established an initial benchmark at Dakar 2026. He reached the podium after losing a semifinal whose deciding round turned in the final moments, while also becoming the first Moroccan medal winner of this edition. The significance of the result therefore rests both on his individual place in the under-48 kg event and on its position in the delegation’s developing record during the Games.
The Games were scheduled to continue in Senegal until November 13, five days after Ladimat won his medal. His bronze opened Morocco’s account, but that result alone could not establish the country’s eventual medal total or final position while events remained. The confirmed situation on November 8 was nevertheless clear: the taekwondo athlete had delivered Morocco’s first medal of this Youth Olympic Games edition.
