Overview
The 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games (hereinafter referred to as "Dakar 2026 YOG") will be held from October 31 to November 13 in three competition zones across Senegal: Dakar, Saly, and Diamniadio. This marks the first time an Olympic series event is held on the African continent, a milestone of great significance. The Games will feature 25 official sports and 10 participation sports, with young athletes from around the world competing fiercely over 14 days. Great emphasis is placed on gender equality, with a total of 153 medal events, including 73 men's events, 73 women's events, and 7 mixed events.
Wushu's Youth Olympic Debut: Competition Dates and Venue
Wushu is one of the official sports at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games, marking the first time wushu has been included as an official medal sport in an Olympic series event. The wushu competition will be held from November 1-3, 2026, at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX). A total of 48 athletes from around the world will compete in four events: men's changquan combined (changquan and gunshu), women's changquan combined (changquan and gunshu), men's taijiquan combined (taijiquan and taijishan), and women's taijiquan combined (taijiquan and taijishan), showcasing the skills and spirit of young wushu athletes.
The Dakar Expo Center is a modern, multi-purpose venue equipped with versatile halls. In addition to wushu, the venue will also host fencing, table tennis, taekwondo, judo, and gymnastics, offering spectators a diverse and exciting range of events.
Event Slogan: "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates"
The official slogan of this edition of the Youth Olympic Games is: "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates." This slogan highlights the symbolic significance of Senegal as the first African country to host an Olympic event, showcasing the warmth and hospitality of the African continent and the festive spirit of the city of Dakar. The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee emphasizes that this is not only Senegal's event but also a celebration for the entire African continent. This edition of the Youth Olympic Games will be a youthful celebration blending culture, sports, inclusion, and unity.
Event Mascot
The mascot, "Ayo," is depicted as a little lion wearing a hat, symbolizing youth, vitality, and the African spirit. Its attire is inspired by traditional African clothing, featuring a traditional Senegalese Tinga hat, garments in African colors, and shoe designs that reflect local craftsmanship. "Ayo" means "joy" in the Yoruba language, reflecting Africa's multiculturalism and echoing the event slogan "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates."
Games venue map
Medal Design
Schedule
Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Competition Schedule
This edition of the Youth Olympic Games features a total of 25 official sports, including: athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, baseball and softball (Baseball5), ( basketball)basketball 3x3 , boxing, breaking, cycling (road cycling), equestrian sports, fencing, football (futsal), gymnastics (artistic gymnastics), skateboarding (beach skateboarding), judo, rowing (coastal rowing), rugby (rugby sevens), sailing, skateboarding (street skateboarding), table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling (beach wrestling), and wushu. Additionally, there are 10 participation sports: canoeing, golf, hockey, karate, modern pentathlon, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, tennis, and weightlifting.
The wushu competition will be held from November 1-3, 2026, at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX). A total of 48 athletes from around the world will compete in four events: men's changquan combined (changquan and gunshu), women's changquan combined (changquan and gunshu), men's taijiquan combined (taijiquan and taijishan), and women's taijiquan combined (taijiquan and taijishan), showcasing the skills and spirit of young wushu athletes.
Competition
The following information is excerpted from the Wushu (Taolu) Sport Guide for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 and is provided for reference only. Please refer to the latest version of the official Sport Guide for accurate information.
Competition Format
Each event features 12 athletes. In the Changquan Combined Event, each athlete performs a Changquan routine and a Gunshu routine, while in the Taijiquan Combined Event, each athlete performs a Taijiquan routine and a Taijishan routine. The final ranking is determined by the combined results of the two routines.
The competition is conducted in two phases: a Preliminary Round and a Final Round. The starting order for the Preliminary Round is determined by a draw. At the conclusion of the Preliminary Round, the top eight athletes qualify for the Final Round. In the Final Round, athletes compete in the reverse order of the Preliminary Round rankings. In the event of a tie, the starting order is determined by a draw.
Competition Methods
The IWUF 3rd Set of International Wushu Competition Routines shall be adopted for this competition.
For the Wushu Taolu competition, the "Events without Degree of Difficulty Scoring Methods and Standards" will apply.
Competition Rules and Regulations
Unless otherwise stated in these Regulations, the competition will be conducted in accordance with the "IWUF Wushu Taolu Competition Rules and Judging Methods (2024)", hereinafter referred to as the "Rules".
The Rules and Judging Methods shall be interpreted solely at the discretion of the IWUF. In the event of any disagreement regarding the interpretation of the Rules, the English version shall prevail.
For the 3rd set of the International Wushu Competition Routines:
Changquan and Gunshu: No less than 1 minute 10 seconds in total duration.
Taijiquan and Taijishan: From 3 to 4 minutes in total duration.
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Athletes
- Belgium
- Chile
- People's Republic of China
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Republic of Korea
- Niger
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Sweden
- Indonesia
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Egypt
- France
- Gabon
- Georgia
- India
- Mexico
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Venezuela
- Hong Kong, China
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Morocco
- Malaysia
- Senegal
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United States of America
- Vietnam
- Benin
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Germany
- Kenya
- Philippines
- Senegal
- Chinese Taipei
- Tunisia
- Singapore
- Uzbekistan
E-learning
Youth Wushu Series: Bilingual Chinese-English Teaching Materials
Athlete365 Dakar 2026 E-learning Courses for Athletes and Their Entourage Members
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched the pre-Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) e-learning courses on Athlete365. While the e-learning courses are essential for young athletes and their entourage members participating in the event next October-November, the learnings from the modules are useful and open to all elite young athletes and entourage members.
The courses are available in nine languages for athletes and six languages for entourage members.
They are divided into four interactive, age-appropriate and concise modules for them to learn about:
- Staying Mentally Fit
- Safeguarding
- Preventing Competition Manipulation
- Anti-doping (ADEL course hosted by WADA)
Upon completion of the first three modules, the participant will receive a certificate signed by the IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
The courses can be accessed using the links below (participants will be required to register for or log in to Athlete365):
Media Center
Photography
During Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the IWUF will make imagery available free of charge for editorial use.
For specific requests and to obtain the download link, please contact IWUF Media & Communication at media@iwuf.org.
Media Enquiries
For media enquiries, please contact IWUF Media & Communication at media@iwuf.org.
