Senegal Youth Olympics close as Australia wins six medals
Australia collected four silver and two bronze medals at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
Australia finished the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal with six medals as organisers hailed Dakar as proof Africa can host major international events. Nearly 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 competed across 25 sports.
Key takeaways
- Australia won six medals at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
- The tally included four silver medals and two bronze medals.
- Marley Dodd won silver in the men’s 55kg boxing event.
- Mackenzie Macdonald won silver in the women’s 49kg taekwondo event.
- Elsie Apps won cycling silver and Caleb McKenzie won cycling bronze in the road races.
Australia finished the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal with six medals as organisers hailed Dakar as proof Africa can host major international events, ABC Sport reported. The Dakar Games were the first Olympic event hosted in Africa.
Australia’s medal tally
Australia won four silver medals and two bronze medals at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Boxer Marley Dodd won silver in the men’s 55kg boxing event. Mackenzie Macdonald won Australia’s first taekwondo Youth Olympic Games medal, silver in the women’s 49kg category.
Cyclists Elsie Apps and Caleb McKenzie won silver and bronze respectively in the women’s and men’s road races. Queensland beach volleyball pair Thomas Turner and Ryan Edgar claimed bronze.
Other results and context
Australia’s women’s rugby sevens team was denied gold in an extra-time final against Kenya, ozarab.media reported. Senegal’s Elisabeth Diatta won the host nation’s first gold medal through beach wrestling, which made its Olympic debut. China led the gold-medal table with 18, followed by Japan with 11 and Russia with eight, ozarab.media reported.
Scale and reaction
Nearly 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 competed across 25 sports and 153 medal events over two weeks in Senegal, ABC Sport reported. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said expectations had been “far exceeded” and described the event as an “extremely magical” journey.
“I think we’ve shown the world the capability that we have and now we need to choose to take that forward,” the Zimbabwean two-time Olympic champion added.
Flag bearers and future
Marley Dodd and Elsie Apps were Australia’s flag bearers at the Youth Olympic Games, ABC Sport reported. The IOC has delayed selecting a host for the next summer Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for 2030, as it analyses data from Dakar, ozarab.media reported. South Africa, which staged the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2010, is among countries in talks with the IOC about hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, ABC Sport reported.
Australia’s medals at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Athlete or team | Sport | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
Marley Dodd | Boxing | Men’s 55kg | Silver |
Mackenzie Macdonald | Taekwondo | Women’s 49kg | Silver |
Elsie Apps | Cycling | Women’s road race | Silver |
Caleb McKenzie | Cycling | Men’s road race | Bronze |
Thomas Turner and Ryan Edgar | Beach volleyball | Men’s pairs | Bronze |
Related on Apex Sports News
Canada finishes Youth Olympics with five medals as Dakar Games conclude
Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics brings first Olympic event to Africa
Jaypal Malviya wins India's first shooting quota for LA 2028 Olympics
Sources
Topics
Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or use the flag button above. Our editorial standards explain how we report.
Discussion
Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion. Please follow our community guidelines.