Arabic version: اختتام أولمبياد الشباب في السنغال وأستراليا تحصد ست ميداليات
According to ABC News, Australia finished the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal with six medals, while organisers hailed the Dakar event as evidence of Africa’s ability to stage major international competitions. The Games were the first Olympic event hosted in Africa.
Nearly 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 competed in 25 sports and 153 medal events over two weeks. International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said expectations had been “far exceeded” and described the event as an “extremely magical” journey.
Australia’s tally comprised four silver medals and two bronze. Boxer Marley Dodd won silver in the men’s 55kg event, while Mackenzie Macdonald secured Australia’s first taekwondo Youth Olympic Games medal with silver in the 49kg category. Cyclists Elsie Apps and Caleb McKenzie won silver and bronze respectively in the women’s and men’s road races.
Queensland beach volleyball pair Thomas Turner and Ryan Edgar claimed bronze. Australia’s women’s rugby sevens team was denied gold in an extra-time final against Kenya. Apps and Dodd were named closing ceremony flag bearers.
Senegal’s Elisabeth Diatta won the host nation’s first gold medal through beach wrestling, which made its Olympic debut. China led the gold-medal table with 18, followed by Japan with 11 and Russia with eight. The IOC has delayed selecting a host for the next summer Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for 2030, as it analyses data from Dakar.
