On 31 October, the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games were officially opened in Senegal — the first Olympic sporting event in history to be hosted by an African country. Over the course of two weeks, 2,655 athletes aged between 14 and 17 will compete for medals in 25 sports. The Games have brought together representatives from 204 National Olympic Committees, including Ukraine, which has sent 38 athletes to Senegal.
- Senegal became the first African country to host the Olympic Games.
- 2,655 young athletes from all over the world are competing in Dakar.
- Competitors will be vying for 153 sets of medals across 25 sports.
- Ukraine is represented by 38 athletes competing in 14 sports.
- The Youth Olympic Games will run until 13 November.
Senegal hosted the first Olympic Games in African history
The opening ceremony took place at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, approximately 30 kilometres from Senegal’s capital, Dakar. Over 1,100 performers, dancers and musicians took part in the festive show. The organisers showcased African traditions through contemporary music, national dances, theatrical performances and light displays.
The Games were officially opened by the President of Senegal Bassiru Diomay Fai. The President of the International Olympic Committee also spoke at the ceremony Kirsty Coventry, who became the first African woman to head the organisation.
The competition will run until 13 November in three cities — Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. Athletes will compete for 153 sets of medals across 25 sports, including athletics, swimming, judo, fencing, artistic gymnastics, 3×3 basketball and beach wrestling.
The organisers paid particular attention to ensuring equal representation of boys and girls. For the first time in the history of the Summer Youth the Olympic Games The same quotas have been set for athletes of both sexes.
Ukraine is represented by 38 athletes
The Ukrainian team comprises 38 athletes — 11 boys and 27 girls. They will be competing in 14 sports. In total, Ukraine’s official delegation numbers 77 people, including coaches and support staff.
The Ukrainian flag was carried by a judoka during the opening ceremony Khazar Heydarov and a rower Victoria Radchenko.
The Ukrainian national team includes medallists and winners of international junior competitions. In particular, Milania Kochan holds the title of European U18 champion in the hammer throw, Alina Dmytruk — medals from the Cadet World Fencing Championships, and Iryna Bukhtina — a gold medal at the World Beach Wrestling Championships.
The return of the Russians under the national flag
The Dakar Games also attracted attention due to the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow young athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international youth competitions whilst displaying their national symbols.
Thirteen Russian athletes are competing in Senegal under their own flag. This is the first time a Russian delegation has taken part in an Olympic event of this kind since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In Ukraine, there had previously been criticism of the easing of sporting restrictions on Russia. The IOC explains the decision on the basis of the principle that young athletes should have access to international competitions regardless of the actions of their governments.
