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A first for Africa, the first Youth Refugee Team, the first Learning Academy… Far more than just a sporting competition, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are already shaping up to be a historic turning point for the Olympic Movement.
A historic first on the African continent
For the very first time in history, an Olympic competition will take place on African soil. By welcoming 2,700 young athletes from all five continents, Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly – the three host cities for the event – will place Senegal and Africa at the heart of the global sporting map.
An official poster
To embody this pioneering edition, Dakar 2026 has also broken new ground symbolically: this is the first time an official poster has been created specifically to celebrate the YOG. Designed by the Senegalese artist Laye Samb in the form of a life-size postage stamp, it showcases the ‘car rapide’ – an iconic form of public transport in the Senegalese capital – alongside other key cultural elements of the local landscape.
Madam President
Dakar 2026 will also be the first edition of the Games to be held under the presidency of the former Zimbabwean Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry. As the first woman to be elected President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the first African to lead the Olympic Movement, she took up her post in June 2025.
In what way do these Youth Olympic Games embody modernity in sport?
Marking a decisive step forward for inclusion and diversity across disciplines, Dakar 2026 will be the very first edition of the Youth Olympic Games to host a Youth Refugee Team. This represents a new milestone in the Olympic Movement’s commitment to the inclusion of refugees through sport.
This edition will also see the introduction of a major change to the competition format: for the first time at the YOG, mixed inter-national teams will be replaced by strict representation by nation, coupled with perfect gender parity across the competition programme.
