Cyprus participates in the 4th Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

The 4th Youth Olympic Games are set to commence in Dakar, Senegal, running from October 31 to November 13, 2026. This edition marks a historic milestone as it is the first time the Youth Olympics are being hosted on the African continent. The Cypriot Olympic Committee has sent a delegation of eight athletes who will represent the country across six different sporting disciplines.

Flag bearers for the Cypriot delegation at the opening ceremony are judoka Vladimiros Charalambous and rower Evgenia Maria Polykarpou. Charalambous, known for his 9th place finish at the 2025 U18 World Championships, and Polykarpou, a top-tier competitor in Beach Sprints, lead a team that also includes swimmers Andrew Marcus Lagoutis and Maria Kermanou, and fencer Aris Kagias. Competitive events for the Cypriot team begin on Saturday, October 31, starting with the rowing competitions.

This participation follows years of development for the selected athletes, many of whom have achieved significant rankings in international U18 and U19 categories. The team is currently finalizing preparations in Dakar ahead of their respective event schedules.