Paul Hohenauer and Martin Poinstingl won the beach volleyball gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Wednesday, going undefeated through the entire tournament to claim Austria’s third medal of the Games, the Austrian Olympic Committee reported. The Lower Austrian duo defeated Germany’s reigning U18 world champions Lasse Hüper and Filo Wüst 22-20, 13-21, 15-12 in a 55-minute final at Center Court in Saly, Senegal.
The victory gave the Youth Olympic Team Austria its first gold of the Games, with the beach volleyball pair remaining unbeaten from their opening match through the final. Austrian fans packed the stands around Center Court for an all-European final between Austria and Germany, and the match was streamed live to a large audience in Austria, according to the committee’s report.
A final that swung back and forth
The Austrians nearly let the first set slip away. At 20-18, Hohenauer and Poinstingl squandered two set points before converting their third to take the opener 22-20. Germany answered in the second set, winning the decisive rallies to level the match 21-13, which sent the final to a tie-break.
In the decider, Austria built a 12-9 lead, but Germany fought back to tie at 12-12 before Hohenauer and Poinstingl regained control and closed out the match 15-12. “It could have gone either way,” Poinstingl said afterward, describing the match as one on a knife’s edge. “But then we got the momentum back and brought the win home.”
Hohenauer said the pressure sat with the German side as the reigning world champions, which let the Austrians play freely. “I think that was our secret recipe today in general,” he said.
Prior knowledge of the German duo paid off
The Austrians had already beaten Hüper and Wüst once before the tournament began, winning a training match against the Germans before the competition started. “We know each other well, and we analyzed them extensively yesterday and again today,” Hohenauer said. “That apparently paid off.”
The two pairs had studied each other closely in the buildup, and Hohenauer said the preparation showed on court in the biggest match of their young careers.
Team Austria and dignitaries watched from the stands
The final drew a notable crowd beyond the Austrian fan block. Judo medalist Selina Wögerer sat beside Chef de Mission Ingemar Mayer, while IOC member and Austrian Olympic Committee honorary president Karl Stoss sat in front of Austrian ambassador Markus Reiterer, the committee reported. Members of the Youth Olympic Team Austria also followed the final live rather than missing it.
After the win, Hohenauer thanked the supporters who traveled to Saly. “It was really cool that so many came to Saly to cheer us on,” he said. “Nice that they didn’t make the trip for nothing.”
Poinstingl’s injury comeback makes gold sweeter
For the 17-year-old Poinstingl, the gold capped a season that had been disrupted by injury. He had been sidelined for a long stretch and only became fit in time for the European Championships, he said, before standing on the top step of the podium in Dakar. “I couldn’t have had a better run, could I?” he said, laughing.
Poinstingl also described the whirlwind of attention that follows a Youth Olympic title, being passed from interview to interview immediately after the victory. “Right after the success you don’t have time to really process it, because so many people want something from you,” he said. “But I’m really enjoying this stress right now.”
Hohenauer said he could hardly believe the moment at first. “In the third set I just wanted it to be over quickly and the gold to be ours,” he said. “When it was really done, a huge weight fell off my heart.”
Medal ceremony Wednesday evening, departure Thursday
The medal ceremony for the new champions is scheduled for Wednesday evening in the Olympic Youth Village. Hohenauer and Poinstingl are due to fly home to Austria on Thursday, the committee reported. Both said they enjoyed their time in Africa but were looking forward to returning home.
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