Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games
The 2026 Youth Olympics will take place in Dakar, Africa from 31st October – 14th November
About the Youth Olympic Games
The 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first time an African country hosts an Olympic sports event.
Focused on global outreach and Africa’s growth, Dakar 2026 will celebrate sports, education, and culture through a festival designed for teenagers.
The Games will feature 247 events across 36 sports, with breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, and karate added to the core lineup of 28 sports.
This edition will be unique as it eliminates mixed NOC team events, with 115 events for men, 115 for women, and an open equestrian event. Baseball5 and Wushu will also be included as optional sports.
The revised sports programme is more aligned with the local context, retaining 25 of the original 35 sports while moving 10 to the engagement programme. The new format limits each sport to one discipline, reducing athlete numbers and ensuring gender balance in the competition.
YOG Qualification and Nomination Criteria
We hope that the NZ Olympic Committee (NZOC) will be allocated 1 Athlete quota spot for a Jumper to compete at the Youth Olympics. The allocation of the quota spots has been set by the FEI in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC will inform the NZOC at the start of April 2026 if NZL has been successful in receiving a Jumping Athlete Quota spot, while we are confident nothing is guaranteed till confirmed by the IOC.
Each athlete that is age eligible for the Youth Olympic Games also needs to achieve a Certificate of Capability (CoC), which is achieved by competing in the third round of the FEI World Challenge. The two competitions held in NZ will be completed by the end of December 2025. Once an athlete has achieved their MER they can then be considered for selection for the athlete quota spot if allocated, refer to the Nomination Criteria below.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON PATHWAY TO YOG
Below is the link to the nomination criteria which has been developed to meet the requirements set by the NZ Olympic Committee .
The ESNZ Selection Panel will select a athlete/s to be nominated to the NZOC Selection Panel who is responsible for selecting the athlete to the NZOC Youth Olympic Team
Our Olympic and Paralympic Games Newsletters
The Daily Download
Click here for our update from the Paralympic Games on Saturday 31 August, as we profile Louise Duncan and her horse Showcase BC.
The Daily Download Day 6
Click here for our final update from the Paris Olympic Games on Wednesday 31 July, as Melissa Galloway breaks a New Zealand record on the biggest stage in the world.
The Daily Download Day 5
Click here for an update from Paris Tuesday 30 July, as we head into the Dressage with Melissa Galloway.
Dressage times for Wednesday 31 July
Dressage Grand Prix
Team & Individual Qualifier – Wednesday 10.00am (Paris time) = 7.55pm (NZ time)
Melissa Galloway & Windermere J’Obei W – Wednesday 2.52pm (Paris time) = Thursday 12.52am (NZ time)
The Daily Download Day 4
Click here for the results from Monday 29 July, the New Zealand eventers have finished eighth at the Paris Games with Tim Price and Falco the best individual in sixth place.
Dressage times for Tues July 30/Wed 31 July
Dressage Grand Prix 30th
Team & Individual Qualifier – Tuesday 11.00am (Paris time) = 8.55pm (NZ time)
Dressage Grand Prix 31st
Team & Individual Qualifier – Wednesday 10.00am (Paris time) = 7.55pm (NZ time)
Melissa Galloway & Windermere J’Obei W – Wednesday 2.52pm (Paris time) = Thursday 12.52am (NZ time)
The Daily Download Day 3
Click here for a wrap up of action on Sunday 28 July, as the New Zealand eventing team sit in sixth place on 118.2 penalty points after an exciting day of cross country, and head into the final showjumping rounds.
Eventing showjumping times for Mon July 29/Tues July 30
- Team Final and Individual Qualifier – Monday 11.00am (Paris time) = 8.55pm (NZ time)
- Individual Final (25 starters) – Monday 3.00pm (Paris time) = Tuesday 1.00am (NZ time)
- Medal Ceremony – Monday 4.00pm (Paris time) = Tuesday 2.00am (NZ time)
The Daily Download Day 2(a)
Click here for more from the sidelines on Saturday 27 July, as New Zealand sits in fourth place just a smidgen behind hosts France, while Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park are the best of the Kiwis individually.
The Daily Download Day 2
Click here for Day 2, Saturday 27 July as Jock Paget is cautiously optimistic as we head towards a challenging day of cross country. Also find out more about Clarke Johnstone, Menlo Park and the team behind them.
Eventing cross country times for Sunday July 28
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Jonelle Price and Hiarado – 11.10am (Paris time) = 9.10pm (NZ time)
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Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park – 12.46pm (Paris time) = 10.46pm (NZ time)
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Tim Price and Falco – 2.22pm (Paris time) = 12.22pm (NZ time)
The Daily Download Day 1
Click here for Day 1, Friday 26 July as we go ring-side with Jock Paget, find out more about our riders and their equines, and we also hear from their owners, grooms and the whole team.
The New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic Team Members
[Click on the name for their Olympic or Paralympic Games bio]
