Wushu Makes History With First Gold Medals At Youth Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Wushu awarded its first-ever gold medals in an Olympic-series competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Nov 3, with athletes from China, Egypt, Singapore and Hong Kong, China taking the four titles.

In a statement, the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) said the competition, held from Nov 1 to 3 at the Dakar Expo Center, brought together 47 athletes from 46 countries and regions in four events: men’s and women’s changquan combined, and men’s and women’s taijiquan combined. Each event combined a bare-hand routine with a weapon routine.

The finals were attended by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, Chinese Sport Minister and IWUF President Gao Zhidan, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary President Thomas Bach, among other Olympic and sports officials.

In the men’s changquan combined, China’s 15-year-old Lin Yilei led after the changquan and was the top performer in the gunshu, winning gold with a combined score of 18.796 points. Indonesia’s Asael Christo Jacob Rondonuwu took silver and Iran’s Arash Peahali bronze.

Egypt’s Sondos Sonbol excelled in both disciplines to win the women’s changquan combined, ahead of Venezuela’s Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado and India’s Lanchenbi Chani Rajkumari.

In the taijiquan events, Poon Hao Ran of Hong Kong, China won the men’s  taijiquan combined title, scoring identically in the taijiquan and the taijishan, a routine performed with a folding fan. Vietnam’s Nguyen Khac Le Hoang won silver and Japan’s Kawamura Shiki bronze.

Singapore’s Ng Zhe Nin won the women’s taijiquan combined, with Chinese Taipei’s Chu Yu En taking silver and Germany’s Zhuo Mia Aurelja Xianglin bronze.

-- BERNAMA