Wushu Captivates Spectators on Historic Youth Olympic Games Debut

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye attended the final day of competition, alongside IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach, IOC Vice-President Nawal El Moutawakel and numerous senior Olympic and sports officials. They were joined by Gao Zhidan, Special Envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China’s Minister of Sport and President of the International Wushu Federation (IWUF). IOC President Kirsty Coventry had attended the wushu competition the previous day.

Held from 1 to 3 November at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX), the competition brought together 47 athletes representing 46 countries and regions across four medal events: Men's and Women's Changquan Combined and Men's and Women's Taijiquan Combined.

Athletes representing 12 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) won medals: China, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Venezuela, India, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong, China.

Each event combined a bare-hand routine with a weapon routine, showcasing contrasting styles, technical precision, athleticism and artistic expression. From the dynamic movements and acrobatic elements of Changquan to the flowing, controlled movements of Taijiquan, the performances offered spectators a captivating introduction to the diversity of wushu.

The IOC's own coverage reflected the excitement generated by the competition, with headlines including “Wushu – WOW”, “Check out these moves” and “Sit back and let wushu wash over you” highlighting the sport's impact on its Olympic debut.

Asked by reporters about wushu's participation at Dakar 2026, IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach emphasised the significance of the sport's inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games.

“I think it's of great significance because it's the entry door to the Olympic world and to the Olympic program,” Bach said.
Oscar-winning actress and IOC member Michelle Yeoh, who also attended the final day of competition, expressed her pride and emotion at witnessing wushu's Olympic debut.

“This is the first step. The Youth Games is very important to the IOC family. This is the first time wushu is in competition. I'm very, very proud of it because we waited a very long time to have this opportunity,” Yeoh said.

She also highlighted the sport's international reach and diversity.

“It's not just the Asians doing wushu, it's so obvious. It's multiracial. It's representative across the different continents.”

The first Olympic gold medal in wushu was won by 15-year-old Lin Yilei of the People's Republic of China. Delivering a near-flawless performance that captivated spectators, Lin earned a combined score of 18.796 points from the judges. Indonesia's Asael Christo Jacob Rondonuwu claimed silver, while Iran's Arash Peahali took bronze.

Egypt's Sondos Sonbol won the Women's Changquan Combined, excelling in both components of the competition. Venezuela's Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado claimed silver, with India's Lanchenbi Chani Rajkumari taking bronze.

Hong Kong, China's Poon Hao Ran secured gold in the Men's Taijiquan Combined, recording identical scores in the two components of the event. Vietnam's Nguyen Khac Le Hoang won silver, while Japan's Kawamura Shiki took bronze.

Singapore's Ng Zhe Nin claimed gold in the Women's Taijiquan Combined, ahead of Chinese Taipei's Chu Yu-En, who won silver, and Germany's Zhuo Mia Aurelja Xianglin, who secured bronze.

Reporter: Anthony Edgar
 
Wushu Final Results – Youth Olympic Games, Dakar 2026
 
Men's Changquan Combined   
GOLD: LIN Yilei (CHN)           
SILVER: Asael Christo Jacob RONDONUWU (INA)  
BRONZE: Arash PAHALI (IRI)
 
Women's Changquan Combined
GOLD: Sondos SONBOL (EGY)            
SILVER: Valeria Frannerys DUDAMEL ALVARADO (VEN)            
BRONZE: Lanchenbi Chanu RAJKUMARI (IND)
 
Men's Taijiquan Combined      
GOLD: POON Hao Ran (HKG)
SILVER: Khac le Hoang NGUYEN (VIE)            
BRONZE: KAWAMURA Shiki (JPN)
 
Women's Taijiquan Combined 
GOLD: NG Zhe Nin (SGP)       
SILVER: CHU Yu En (TPE)      
BRONZE: Angel POLO (GER)