The Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) officially nominated the Youth Olympic Team Austria on Friday, sending 17 rising talents across ten sports to compete at the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar, Senegal. Scheduled from October 31 to November 13, 2026, the global showcase marks a historic milestone as the Youth Olympic Games take place on the African continent for the first time.
A Historic Milestone for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar
When the opening ceremony commences on October 31, 2026, Africa will officially become the fifth continent to host an Olympic event. The milestone arrives with a four-year delay; Dakar was originally awarded the 2022 Youth Olympic Games before the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a postponement.
The Composition of Team Austria
Austria’s 17-member delegation features nine male and eight female athletes competing across ten disciplines. The roster spans beachvolleyball (two athletes), fencing (one), judo (one), athletics (four), road cycling (one), coastal rowing (two), swimming (two), table tennis (one), triathlon (one), and gymnastics (two). Regionally, Lower Austria leads the delegation by club affiliation with six athletes, followed by Upper Austria with five and Vorarlberg with three.
Three members of the squad arrive with previous multi-sport event experience as medalists from the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje: table tennis talent Nina Skerbinz, swimming prospect Lilli Paier, and gymnast Samuel Wachter. ÖOC President Horst Nussbaumer emphasized the importance of the upcoming competition. “The 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar will be an unforgettable milestone for the Olympic movement,” Nussbaumer stated. “The fact that these games are taking place on African soil for the first time gives the event a very special historical dimension.”
Preparation and Logistical Challenges
For the ÖOC, international youth development remains a core priority. Across the first three iterations of the Youth Olympic Games—Shanghai 2010, Nanjing 2014, and Buenos Aires 2018—the Youth Olympic Team Austria collected 20 total medals, including four golds. The design for the Dakar 2026 medals was revealed recently, featuring an engraved lion alongside a native baobab tree.
Overall, approximately 2,700 athletes from around the globe—split evenly between male and female competitors—will compete across 25 sports featuring 153 medal events. Ten additional engagement sports are planned to promote physical activity among youth in Senegal and across Africa. Events will span eight venues across three hubs: the capital city of Dakar, the planned future city of Diamniadio (home to the Youth Olympic Village), and the coastal town of Saly.
ÖOC Secretary General Florian Gosch noted that the games serve as an educational environment for coaches, athletes, and sports federations alike. Chef de Mission Ingemar Mayer highlighted the logistical and climatic demands of competing in West Africa. “The preparations for an event in Africa bring specific logistical and climatic challenges, for which we have prepared intensively together with the federations,” Mayer said. “Our impressions on site were positive, the conditions are good, and the enthusiasm for the event is huge.”
The Road to Dakar Kick-Off
The final phase of preparation begins on October 21 and 22 with an official kick-off event in Spital am Pyhrn. The gathering will include kit distribution, athlete workshops, and a “Chat with Champions” session before the team departs for Senegal.
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