Swimming got underway at Dakar 2026 on Sunday, 1 November, with the first medals of the Youth Olympic Games up for grabs.
But it wasn’t just the athletes who made the occasion special, with fans also joining in the celebrations on the day one of these historic Games.
Five sets of medals were awarded at the Dakar Aquatic Centre, including the very first gold medal of the Games – won by an ecstatic Elvira Espinosa of Ecuador in the women’s 400 metres freestyle.
“I’m really happy, to be honest. I didn’t think that, after so long, I’d achieve this,” she told Olympics.com after her victory. “When you represent your country, you always hope to win a medal and improve your time, and to do all of that at once is amazing.”
South American fans had a second gold medal to celebrate at the start of the afternoon session, as Cecilia Dieleke claimed Argentina’s first-ever Youth Olympic Games medal in the women’s 200m backstroke.
“I’m very happy,” said an emotional Dieleke after her victory ceremony. “Perhaps even more than the medal, it was about how I felt and everything I’ve been through. I’ve always moved forward with a smile… I’m very happy for all of that, and for the history, so more people can see me and practise sports and try them out.”
New Zealand’s Ariel Muchirahondo struck gold in the men’s 200m backstroke after preparing for the Games with an unconventional training regime back home.
The 17-year-old trains in an outdoor pool, where temperatures can hover around freezing point during the winter months.
So how did racing in temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in Dakar compare with the blustery winter conditions back home?
“It’s the polar opposite when it’s winter and it’s like zero degrees, one degree,” he said. “It’s a lot cooler than here and I also think it gives me an advantage being able to race outdoors and train outdoors. It’s less of a shock to me because I’ve done it before.”
- Dakar 2026: Dates, venues, and stars to watch at the Youth Olympic Games – Full schedule
- Dakar 2026: How and where to watch the Youth Olympic Games as Senegal hosts Africa’s first Olympic event
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/dakar-2026/news/athletes-fans-celebrate-swimming-begins-dakar-2026
