The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) gets underway tomorrow (Saturday 31 October), marking a historic milestone as the first Olympic event to be held on African soil.
Team GB will begin its campaign on the opening day of competition, with coastal rowing beach sprinters Lexi Gill and Louie Walker the first British athletes to take to the Youth Olympic stage in the beach sprints.
Dakar 2026 represents a landmark moment for coastal rowing beach sprints as the discipline appears on the programme of an Olympic event for the first time.
Lexi Gill said: "I'm so proud to be representing Team GB at the Youth Olympic Games and I can't wait to get started tomorrow! It's really exciting to be part of the first Team GB coastal beach sprint rowing team to compete at a YOG and to be here in Dakar. I'm looking forward to giving it my best, and supporting the rest of Team GB throughout the Games"
Walker and 16-year-old badminton player Rajvi Parab will carry the Union Flag for Team GB at the Opening Ceremony, taking place on Saturday evening. Parab will begin her campaign on Sunday 1 November, arriving in Dakar as the reigning U17 European Singles Champion. Coverage of the ceremony will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer at 18:30pm
Team GB's delegation will be led by Chef de Mission Alistair Brownlee who will support the 15-strong team throughout the Games.
Alistair Brownlee, Team GB Chef de Mission, said: “The time has finally arrived for our 15 young athletes to step onto the Youth Olympic stage here in Dakar. This is a pivotal moment in so many of their sporting journeys, providing an opportunity to gain valuable experience, learn important lessons and create memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. It is a privilege to lead the team and support our athletes throughout this experience, and I hope they enjoy every minute of representing their country on the international stage. I cannot wait to see them compete and represent Team GB with pride.”
Dakar 2026 is the first Summer YOG since Buenos Aires 2018, following the postponement of the Dakar Games from 2022 to 2026 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first week of competition will see athletes from archery, badminton, boxing, coastal rowing beach sprint, gymnastics and sailing begin their campaigns, with fencing scheduled to get underway on 8 November.