Wushu makes Olympic medal debut at Dakar Youth Games

Wushu crowned its first Olympic medalists at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Tuesday, with athletes from China, Egypt, Singapore and Hong Kong, China winning gold as the Chinese martial art made its debut as an official medal sport.

Gold medalist Lin Yilei (C) of China, silver medalist Asael Christo Jacob Rondonuwu (L) of Indonesia and bronze medalist Arash Pahali of Iran pose for a photo during the awarding ceremony for the Men's Changquan Combined final of Wushu Taolu event at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Diamniadio, Senegal, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

The three-day competition, held from November 1 to 3 at the Dakar Expo Center, featured 47 athletes from 46 countries and regions competing in four events: men's and women's changquan combined and men's and women's taijiquan combined.

All four gold medals were decided Tuesday, marking a milestone in wushu's international development and its efforts to gain a greater foothold in the Olympic movement.

China's 15-year-old Lin Yilei claimed the first gold medal in the men's changquan combined, topping both the changquan and gunshu disciplines to finish with 18.796 points. Indonesia's Asael Christo Jacob Rondonuwu took silver, while Iran's Arash Peahali earned bronze.

Lin Yilei of China competes during the Men's Changquan Combined final Changquan match of Wushu Taolu event at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Diamniadio, Senegal, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Egypt's Sondos Sonbol won the women's changquan combined after leading both disciplines, finishing ahead of Venezuela's Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado and India's Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu.

In the men's taijiquan combined, Poon Hao Ran of Hong Kong, China took gold with consistent performances in taijiquan and taijishan, edging Vietnam's Nguyen Khac Le Hoang into second place. Japan's Shiki Kawamura claimed bronze.

Singapore's Ng Zhe Nin completed the gold medal lineup by winning the women's taijiquan combined.

Ng Zhe Nin of Singapore competes during the Women's Taijiquan Combined final Taijishan match of Wushu Taolu event at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Diamniadio, Senegal, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Each event combined an unarmed routine with a weapons routine, with changquan emphasizing explosive movements and acrobatics, while taijiquan featured slower, controlled movements and balance.

Beyond the medal competitions, athletes, coaches and officials staged wushu demonstrations, while local children were introduced to the sport through the Games' Play Programme.

Wushu previously featured in cultural and educational programs associated with the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games. It was also shortlisted for inclusion as an additional sport at Tokyo 2020 but did not make the final program.

Dakar 2026 marks the first Olympic event held in Africa, bringing together approximately 2,700 athletes across 25 sports. The Games run through November 13.