The Dakar Youth Olympic Games concluded on November 13, with the Chinese delegation claiming the top spot on both the gold and total medal tables by securing 18 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze medals, news.cn reported.
“Representations were united, fought tenaciously, and strove for the best, successfully completing all competition tasks and achieving a double harvest in both sports performance and spiritual civilization,” an official from the Chinese sports delegation told news.cn.
Chinese Delegation Wins Medals in 21 Major Sports
The Chinese delegation brought 66 athletes to Dakar—16 men and 50 women—who competed across 21 major sports and 49 minor events. Athletes won gold in 10 major sports and collected medals in 14, with 33 competitors reaching the podium, accounting for 50 percent of the team.
“The delegation was steady and multi-flowered, with many young athletes tested by high-level competitions and some projects achieving historical breakthroughs,” the official told news.cn.
Aquatics and Track Athletes Set Historical Bests
Aquatics competitors delivered a strong showing as Xie Yichen and Chang Mohan swept 4 gold and 3 silver medals across 8 events. Track and field athletes claimed 3 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals from 12 competitors.
Zhang Keyi won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 13.17 seconds, setting a new Asian youth best. Wang Yaru secured gold in the women’s 5,000-meter race walk, marking China’s third Youth Olympic victory in the event.
Traditional Strengths and Breakthroughs
Gymnasts swept three gold medals in the men’s team, women’s team, and mixed team events. The mixed team discipline serves as a new addition to the upcoming Los Angeles Olympic program, providing preparation experience.
Badminton player Zhang Yixin overcame a first-game deficit to win the women’s singles title in three games. Fencer Pan Qimiao won the knockout rounds to capture the women's individual sabre gold medal.
New Sport Highlights
Wushu athlete Lin Yilei won the men’s changquan all-around final to claim the first-ever wushu gold medal in Olympic-series history. Coastal rowers Su Juntao and Liu Lili secured the mixed double sculls title, marking the event’s first Youth Olympic gold, while Liu also won the women’s single sculls.
In beach wrestling, Zhao Min defeated her Indian opponent in the 75-kilogram final. Skateboarder Zhu Yuanling recovered from a last-place standing in her opening two runs to capture the women’s street skateboarding title. Breaking competitor Cui Shengyu, 16, won the men’s final.
The Chinese women’s three-on-three basketball team earned a silver medal. Cheng Yue took bronze in the women’s 78-kilogram judo division, and Zhang Zhenkun earned bronze in the men’s 60-kilogram boxing tournament.
Next Checkpoint
Competitors in table tennis, taekwondo, beach volleyball, rugby, beach handball, triathlon, and equestrian events also gained international racing experience through the tournament.
“For many members, this was their first time traveling overseas to compete, and this unique arena experience will become a valuable spiritual wealth in their growth process, long inspiring them to forge ahead,” the official told news.cn.
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