China had built a clear lead at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games by the evening of 12 November, with 17 golds and 33 medals overall. Swimming and athletics drove much of that success. Senegal, meanwhile, brought its tally to 12 medals as it staged the first Olympic sporting event ever held in Africa, and African delegations surpassed their previous Youth Olympic medal record.

China builds its lead in swimming and athletics

Going into the final day, China was seven gold medals clear of Japan, which had won ten. China’s swimmers earned four golds and three silvers. At just 15, Chang Mohan won the women’s 200m freestyle and the 200m butterfly less than an hour apart. She finished the Games with four medals, including two golds.

China added nine medals in athletics, three of them gold. Sheng Xuefeng won the men’s triple jump and Wang Yaru took gold in the women’s 5,000m race walk, showing the range of events in which the delegation excelled. Together, swimming and athletics accounted for seven of China’s 17 golds recorded by the evening of 12 November.

Senegal delivers as host and shines in competition

From 31 October to 13 November, Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly welcomed nearly 2,650 young athletes representing 204 National Olympic Committees and the Youth Refugee Olympic Team. Staging 25 competitive sports across eight venues meant coordinating accommodation, transport and competition schedules across three cities. Senegal gave Africa’s Olympic debut a distinct local character. More than 1,100 performers took part in the opening ceremony at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, with contributions from around 100 artisans and creative professionals.

In competition, Senegal’s tally reached five golds and seven bronzes. Élisabeth Diatta, Maguette Diop and Ndèye Khady Anna Diatta won three beach wrestling titles. Marie Sarr added gold in taekwondo, and the men’s 3×3 basketball team claimed the fifth title. In Saly, both beach handball teams reached the podium. The women beat France and the men defeated Hungary, each two sets to one, to earn bronze.

Africa sets a Youth Olympic medal record

African delegations had already surpassed their previous record of 56 medals at Buenos Aires 2018 before the last finals. By the evening of 12 November, a provisional count put the continent’s tally at 73 medals, including 27 golds, across 19 delegations. Egypt, Ethiopia and Senegal stood fourth, fifth and sixth in the overall standings. Kenya and South Africa also featured in the top ten, giving Africa five places at that stage.

After the Games, the Youth Olympic Village in Diamniadio is due to return to university use, with improved student accommodation. The Olympic, Civic and Sports Certificate programme has already reached more than one million schoolchildren. One measure of Dakar 2026’s lasting impact will be how many young people who discovered a sport through the Games can find a club, train with a coach and take part in regular competition.