On the journey to Olympic stardom, everybody must start somewhere.
For 16 of Britain's future Olympic stars and hopefuls, that start comes from a taste of just what it means to be a Team GB athlete at the upcoming Dakar 2026 Olympic Youth Games.
A multi-sport event that embeds the spirit of the Olympics at its core, here is everything you need to know about Dakar 2026.
When did the Youth Olympics start?
The Youth Olympics act as a quadrennial multi-sport Games for athletes from age 14-18.
Organised under the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Games are staggered from summer to winter events, with one every two years, in conjuncture with the Olympic format.
The first edition of the summer Games was held in Singapore in 2010, with the winter version held in Innsbruck, Austria in January 2012.
The idea itself was brought forward by Austrian industrial manager Johann Rosenzopf in 1998 and was officially introduced in 2007 by the IOC.
The event's vision is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values.
Balancing sport, education and culture, the Games are focused on helping young and upcoming stars of sport to engaged with the Olympic movement as the dream of stepping up to the official Olympic stage one day.
What is new for Dakar 2026?
While Dakar is standing tall as the first Olympic event to be held on African soil, the fourth Summer Youth Games will also make further history.
In both overall athlete quota and across all events and sports, the event will be the first-ever time a Youth Olympic Games has achieved full gender parity since its inception.
Dakar will also have the first Youth Olympic Games Refugee team in competition, with six athletes competing in athletics, judo and taekwondo.
Brand new sports will make their Olympic debuts in style as baseball5 and the Chinese martial art of Wushu Taolu both join the programme as competitive sports.
What sports are at Dakar 2026?
From your classic Olympic sports to some of the newest and innovative competitions, Dakar 2026 has it all.
There are a total of 25 competition sports and 10 engagement sports.
The competition sport segment is where you will find the Youth Olympic 'core sports' such as swimming, athletics and equestrian.
However, there will also be the exciting addition of coastal rowing beach sprints, which will make its Olympic debut at LA 2028, alongside 3x3 basketball, beach handball and beach wrestling.
These sports will receive official medals and formats, while engagement sports will include entries for public participation, awareness campaigns, and hands-on discovery for visitors and local youth.
Engagement sports can take place in open-air and public facing zones and will include the likes of weightlifting, surfing, modern pentathlon and tennis, to name a few.
You can find the full list of competition and engagement sports here.
Who is competing for Team GB at Dakar 2026?
A 15-strong line-up of up-and-coming sports stars will make their way to Senegal for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Taking place from 31 October to 13 November, Dakar 2026 will bring together around 2,700 young athletes from across the world to compete and engage in a global multi-sport festival.
Team GB athletes will be taking part in seven sports across the event: archery, badminton, boxing, coastal rowing beach sprint, fencing, gymnastics, and sailing.
They will be led by Chef de Mission and two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee who will be looking to pass down his experience and knowledge to a new wave of athletes.
Find out more about the full list of stars set to shine for Team GB here.