Africa has shown it has what it takes to host the games, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry has said<\/p>\n
The future of the Youth Olympic Games remains uncertain as Senegal concludes Africa\u2019s first Olympic sporting event, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reviewing whether the competition is fulfilling its purpose.
\nIOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday that the organization is still assessing the event after suspending the selection of a host for the 2030 Summer Youth Games earlier this year. She gave no timetable for a decision.
\nCoventry, a former Zimbabwean Olympic swimming champion, praised Senegal\u2019s hosting, describing the event as \u201ca magnificent journey\u201d and saying they demonstrated Africa\u2019s ability to organize major sporting events.
\n\u201cI think we\u2019ve proven by these games that there\u2019s nothing lacking,\u201d she said at a press conference. She noted, however, that only around 15% of participants go on to compete in the Olympics, calling the proportion \u201cquite small.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not to say that the impact isn\u2019t enormous, because we can see it and we can feel it,\u201d Coventry said. The IOC must nevertheless assess the event\u2019s contribution to the wider Olympic movement, she added.
\nThe IOC Executive Board paused the 2030 host election process on May 7 while it reassesses the competition\u2019s core objectives. Coventry said findings from Dakar would feed into that assessment, which includes examining how best to engage youth through the Olympic movement.<\/p>\n
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Consultations with national Olympic committees and international sports federations failed to establish a clear shared vision for the event, Inside the Games reported when the pause was announced.
\nDakar 2026 opened on October 31 and is scheduled to conclude on November 13. Around 2,650 athletes from 204 national Olympic committees, along with the first Youth Refugee Olympic Team, have taken part in Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly.
\nJapan\u2019s Mana Ishikawa, 17, became the first athlete to win four individual golds at a single Youth Olympics. China swept the men\u2019s and women\u2019s artistic gymnastics team titles, while New Zealand\u2019s Ariel Muchirahondo claimed the 100 and 200 meter backstroke crowns.<\/p>\n
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Senegal\u2019s Elisabeth Diatta secured the host nation\u2019s first gold at an Olympic event in women\u2019s 55 kg beach wrestling. Compatriot Maguette Diop also won wrestling gold, while Senegal\u2019s men defeated Lithuania to take the 3×3 basketball title.
\nRussia competed under its national flag and anthem, with 13 athletes registered across nine sports. Its gold medalists included Ulyana Belykh, 15, who defeated Egypt\u2019s Sara Amr Hossny 15-8 in the women\u2019s individual foil final.
\nSenegal was awarded the Games in 2018 and initially planned to stage them in 2022. The coronavirus pandemic forced a four-year postponement, making Dakar the first Summer Youth Olympics since Buenos Aires in 2018.
\nCreated under former IOC President Jacques Rogge, the Summer Youth Olympics debuted in Singapore in 2010, followed by the inaugural winter edition in Innsbruck in 2012. Italy is scheduled to host the next Winter Youth Olympics in 2028.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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