One of two sports making their Olympic debut at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, alongside baseball5, the wushu competition will take place from 1-3 November at the 10,000-capacity Dakar Expo Center in Senegal.
With a rich history stretching back thousands of years in People’s Republic of China, wushu includes several types of competition.Â
At Dakar 2026, athletes will only compete in taolu, a discipline where athletes perform choreographed routines, which are scored by a team of judges.Â
A total of 48 athletes are expected to compete in the wushu taolu competition at Dakar 2026, with two men’s and two women’s medal events on the programme:Â
- Men’s changquan combined (changquan and gunshu)
- Women’s changquan combined (changquan and gunshu)
- Men’s taijiquan combined (taijiquan and taijishan)
- Women’s taijiquan combined (taijiquan and taijishan)
Changquan is a form that originated in northern China and combines speed, kicks, jumps and acrobatics.Â
By contrast, taijiquan is more akin to tai chi and involves a precise performance that flows with controlled movements.Â
Each event requires athletes to perform two routines, with the scores from each combined to determine final placings.Â
The competition begins with a preliminary round, with the top eight competitors in each event advancing to the final.
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READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/dakar-2026/news/what-you-should-know-about-wushu-at-dakar-2026
