The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games have brought together young athletes from around the world, many of whom have shown the potential to compete at the highest level in the years ahead.
As the Games approach their conclusion, some of the young medalists are already setting their sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).
Previous Youth Olympic participants who have gone on to become Olympic stars include table tennis players Fan Zhendong, Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin, sprinters Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred, swimmer Emma McKeon and judoka Abe Hifumi. The International Olympic Committee’s official website, Olympics.com, has selected 10 young athletes who could follow in their footsteps.
Julian Jeang-Agliardi (United States, skateboarding)
American skateboarder Julian Jeang-Agliardi saved his best performance for the men’s street final, winning gold with a total of 149.37 points.
The 16-year-old scored 73.77 points in his third run and added 75.60 points with his first trick. His victory also gave the United States its first gold medal at Dakar 2026.
Jeang-Agliardi is already dreaming of competing at the 2028 Olympics on home soil.
“I’m going to start dreaming; I will start working for that for sure,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty fun. I’m really stoked that it’s going to be in LA. [The dream is] honestly to have fun and [reach the] podium.”
Rosemary Nwankwo (Nigeria, athletics)
Nigeria enjoyed a strong start to the athletics competition, winning both the men’s and women’s 100m titles on the opening day.
One of those winners was 17-year-old Rosemary Nwankwo, who claimed the women’s title in 11.16 seconds and celebrated her victory by dancing in front of the crowd.
“This is the first Youth Olympics in Africa and an African person won it,” she said. “It’s special; it’s history.”
Nwankwo became Nigeria’s third Youth Olympic women’s 100m champion.
Gift Bright (Nigeria, athletics)
Nigeria completed a sprint double just minutes later when 15-year-old Gift Bright won the men’s 100m in 10.28 seconds.
Bright’s athletics journey began when a coach spotted him running in a school relay. He recalled how much his performances had improved since those early days.
“When I started, I was just barefoot,” he told Olympics.com. “[I was] running 17 (seconds) in the 100m, 32 in the 200m.
“Right now I did a 10.2, so that’s why I want to give God the glory.”
At just 15, Bright has plenty of time to develop as he works toward his dream of competing at the Olympic Games.
Lily Bassett (Britain, boxing)
British boxer Lily Bassett arrived in Dakar with more than 40 wins and just one defeat to her name.
The 16-year-old quickly showed why she was regarded as one of the favorites, stopping both opponents in her first two bouts in the women’s 48kg category to guarantee herself a medal.
Bassett said being considered a favorite gave her extra motivation rather than adding to the pressure.
“I feel it’s a big compliment to my ability, and it also pushes me forward,” she said.
“I know I can do it, I’ve put in the hours, and winning is a way of showing all my hard work.”
Zhu Yuanling (China, skateboarding)
China’s Zhu Yuanling continued her impressive season by winning the women’s street skateboarding gold at just 15 years old.
After claiming gold at the Asian Games in September, Zhu delivered another strong performance in Dakar. Despite sitting last after her first two runs, she fought back to win with a total of 149.82 points.
Her next target is the Los Angeles Olympics.
“I look forward to showcasing even more difficult moves and a better-constructed routine for everyone,” she said. “I would do my best to win a medal.”
Nishihara Ikki (Japan, artistic gymnastics)
Japan has won the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around title at each of the last four Olympic Games, and 16-year-old Nishihara Ikki hopes to join the country’s list of Olympic champions.
At Dakar 2026, Nishihara won silver in the men’s team event and bronze in the individual all-around.
He had also impressed at the Asian Junior Gymnastics Championships, winning gold on the parallel bars and horizontal bar and sharing the pommel horse title.
Pan Qimiao (China, fencing)
Chinese fencer Pan Qimiao has already achieved considerable success despite her young age.
The women’s saber specialist won bronze at the 2025 senior World Championships on her debut at the event, aged just 16. She also claimed the junior and cadet world titles in 2026.
Those achievements have established Pan as one of China’s most promising young fencers.
Milaniia Kokhan (Ukraine, athletics)
Ukraine’s Milaniia Kokhan hopes to follow in the footsteps of her older brother Mykhaylo, who won bronze in the men’s hammer throw at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 17-year-old claimed gold in the women’s hammer throw in Dakar, following in her brother’s footsteps. Mykhaylo also won Youth Olympic gold in 2018.
“It is amazing. I am really happy to be here and win a gold medal, just like my brother did in 2018,” she said. “Today, my dream has come true and I have won this medal.”
Kokhan secured the title with a personal best throw of 71.27 meters.
Callum Dreyer (South Africa, coastal rowing)
South African rower Callum Dreyer made a remarkable start to his international career, winning his country’s first gold medal at Dakar 2026 just 15 months after taking up the sport.
The 17-year-old triumphed in the men’s coastal rowing beach sprint event, a discipline set to make its Olympic debut at LA28.
Shortly after the final, Dreyer was still struggling to take in what he had achieved.
“It’s a bit overwhelming,” he told Olympics.com. “Every now and then I still need to pinch myself and take in the moment and really appreciate what’s happened.”
Alexandra Chiron (Moldova, judo)
Alexandra Chiron won bronze in the women’s 52kg judo event, securing Moldova’s first medal at Dakar 2026.
The 17-year-old defeated opponents from Cameroon and Niger before losing to Portugal’s Sofia Gaspar in the semifinals. She bounced back in the bronze-medal bout, beating Gambia’s Alima Jobe to reach the podium.
Chiron is also an Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder. The program provides financial support to athletes to help cover training, equipment, travel and qualification costs as they work toward competing at the Olympic Games.
Her bronze medal in Dakar could mark an important step toward realizing her Olympic ambitions. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
