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Russia returns to Olympic stage at Dakar 2026 Youth Games

Russian athletes compete under their national flag and anthem for the first time since 2020.

By , Sports writer

· 1 min read

Russia national Olympic team
Russia national Olympic team (file photo) Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Russia has returned to the Olympic stage at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, competing under its national flag and anthem for the first time since 2020. The Games are also the first IOC event held on African soil.

Key takeaways

  • Russian athletes have returned to the Olympic stage with their national flag and anthem at Dakar 2026.
  • The return comes after years of sporting restrictions following a doping scandal and the invasion of Ukraine.
  • Athletes had previously competed under neutral identities without national symbols.
  • Dakar 2026 is the first IOC event to be hosted on African soil.
  • The Games run for 14 days from 31 October to 13 November 2026.

Russia returned to the Olympic stage with its national flag and anthem at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, India Today reported. Russian athletes had been forced to compete under neutral identities at subsequent Olympic events, without the right to represent their country through its flag, anthem or national symbols. The restrictions followed a doping scandal and the invasion of Ukraine. Russia was banned in 2020.

About Dakar 2026

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games. The Games are scheduled to run for 14 days from 31 October to 13 November 2026. Dakar 2026 is the first IOC event to be held in Africa. It is also the first Youth Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Kirsty Coventry.

About the Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes aged 15 to 18 years old.

Organized by the International Olympic Committee, the Games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format, though in reverse order with the Winter Olympic Games held in leap years instead of the Games of the Olympiad.

The first summer version was held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010 while the first winter version was held in Austria from 13 to 22 January 2012.

What happens next

Russian athletes are competing at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with their national flag and anthem. The Games run from 31 October to 13 November 2026 in Senegal.

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