Los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud Dakar 2026 se inauguraron el 31 de octubre de 2026, marcando la primera vez que el Comité Olímpico Internacional organiza un evento olímpico en el continente africano, según informó Comunicación Continua. The fourth edition of the games runs through November 13, bringing together approximately 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 18 from more than 200 countries alongside the Refugee Olympic Team. The program features 25 sports with absolute gender parity, split evenly across 73 men’s events, 73 women’s events, and 7 mixed or open competitions.
Venezuela Delegation Competes Across Fifteen Disciplines
Venezuela arrived in Senegalese territory with a delegation of 34 athletes competing across 15 disciplines, including athletics, boxing, beach wrestling, wushu, beach volleyball, badminton, fencing, table tennis, judo, windsurfing, triathlon, road cycling, swimming, 3×3 basketball, and women’s futsal. The country previously earned 15 total medals across the three prior iterations of the Youth Olympic Games, consisting of 2 gold, 8 silver, and 5 bronze medals.
The nation’s first podium appearance in Dakar arrived on November 1, 2026, in judo. Rosalvick Aguilar, competing in the under-44 kilogram category and serving as the delegation’s flagbearer alongside badminton player Fabricio Rodríguez, secured a bronze medal by defeating her opponent from Botswana with an ippon. Previous Venezuelan judo medalists at the Youth Olympics include Pedro Pineda with a bronze in the over-100 kilogram class at Singapore 2010, Elvismar Rodríguez with a bronze in the under-78 kilogram division at Nanjing 2014, and María Giménez with a gold medal in the under-44 kilogram category at Buenos Aires 2018.
A second medal for the Venezuelan delegation followed on November 3, 2026, at the conclusion of the sixth day of competition. Valeria Dudamel claimed a silver medal in wushu at the Dakar games. The 16-year-old athlete from Lara state accumulated 18.199 points across the gunshu and changquan routines during the debut of the traditional martial art at the event, according to El Nacional.
Next Competition Dates at Dakar 2026
Competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar continues daily across multiple venues in Senegal through the closing ceremony scheduled for November 13, 2026.
