Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games close in Senegal: China tops the gold table with 18, and Senegal wins its first Olympic gold
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games closed on Friday evening in Diamniadio after two weeks — the first Olympic event ever held in Africa. China took the most gold medals with 18, ahead of Japan's 11 and Russia's 8, while Egypt won six golds and Ethiopia and host Senegal five each. IOC president Kirsty Coventry said expectations had been exceeded, and Senegal's golds included the country's first-ever Olympic gold, won by 16-year-old beach wrestler Elisabeth Diatta.
Key points
- The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games closed on Friday evening in Diamniadio — the first Olympic event ever held in Africa is over.
- China led the gold table with 18, ahead of Japan (11) and Russia (8); Egypt won six golds, Ethiopia and Senegal five each.
- Senegal's five golds included its first-ever Olympic gold, won by 16-year-old beach wrestler Elisabeth Diatta.
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- IOC president Kirsty Coventry said Senegal's hosting had exceeded expectations.
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What happened
The Games opened on 31 October at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, declared open by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and ran for two weeks across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, for athletes aged 14 to 17. That opening story is carried separately on Vozia.
The closing ceremony in Diamniadio ended Africa's first Olympic event on Friday evening, after final competitions in beach handball, breaking and fencing. Coventry handed over the Olympic flag during the ceremony and the flame was extinguished, DW reported.
Match facts — all verified
- ✓ VerifiedThe Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games ended on Friday 13 November 2026 after two weeks, with a closing ceremony in Diamniadio, outside Dakar, on Friday evening. The Games, held from 31 October to 13 November across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, were the first Olympic event ever held in Africa, with nearly 2,700 young athletes competing in 25 sports and 153 medal events.DW — Senegal Youth Olympics in Dakar end on high note (14 Nov 2026; read in full) · AFP via UM Legacy Press — Senegal Youth Olympics end with expectations 'far exceeded' (13 Nov 2026; read in full)
- ✓ VerifiedChina took the most gold medals with 18, followed by Japan with 11 and Russia with 8. Egypt won six golds, and Ethiopia and Senegal five each.DW — Senegal Youth Olympics in Dakar end on high note (14 Nov 2026; read in full) · AFP via UM Legacy Press — Senegal Youth Olympics end with expectations 'far exceeded' (13 Nov 2026; read in full)
- ✓ VerifiedSenegal fielded 136 athletes, and 16-year-old beach wrestler Elisabeth Diatta won the country's first-ever Olympic gold, in the women's 55kg beach wrestling at Saly on 7 November.DW — Senegal Youth Olympics in Dakar end on high note (14 Nov 2026; read in full)
- ✓ VerifiedIOC president Kirsty Coventry said Senegal's hosting had exceeded expectations, telling the closing ceremony that the whole of Senegal, and indeed the whole of Africa, had helped to raise these Games, and that Senegal had shown the world what Africa is.DW — Senegal Youth Olympics in Dakar end on high note (14 Nov 2026; read in full) · AFP via UM Legacy Press — Senegal Youth Olympics end with expectations 'far exceeded' (13 Nov 2026; read in full)
- ✓ VerifiedThe Games were the first Olympic competition since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022 at which Russian athletes competed under their own flag and colours.DW — Senegal Youth Olympics in Dakar end on high note (14 Nov 2026; read in full) · AFP via UM Legacy Press — Senegal Youth Olympics end with expectations 'far exceeded' (13 Nov 2026; read in full)
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The Games closed on Friday 13 November in Diamniadio, and the leading gold counts are settled across DW and AFP.
- Senegal won its first-ever Olympic gold during the Games.
What we don't know yet
- The full final medal table with every country's silver and bronze counts — the closing reports read here give gold counts only, and the IOC's settled table has not been read here.
- The host of the next Summer Youth Olympics in 2030 — DW reports Chile, Paraguay and Thailand have confirmed bids, and no host has been chosen in the reports read.