The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games medals have been unveiled, with Senegal‘s lion and baobab tree taking centre stage in designs created to connect the country’s heritage with its Olympic future, Made In Africa Sport reports.
The medals were presented by the Dakar 2026 organising committee on Wednesday, less than four weeks before the Games begin on 31 October.
Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic event to be held in Africa, and organisers have used the medals to tell a story about Senegalese identity, youth and the future.
The winning design, titled ‘The Roar of Youth’, was created by 26-year-old Spanish designer Pilar Barbadillo Vicario after an international competition launched by the International Olympic Committee.
Lion takes centre stage in Dakar 2026 medal
The lion dominates the front of the medal, reflecting strength and courage in both Senegalese culture and sport.
Its mane incorporates two symmetrical faces inspired by traditional Senegalese craftsmanship, representing equality in sporting competition.
Each face is framed by an olive crown, traditionally associated with victory, peace and excellence in the Olympic movement.
The combination brings together Senegalese cultural identity and established Olympic symbolism.
Barbadillo Vicario said she wanted the medal to give athletes a lasting connection to Dakar.
“I wanted the winners to have a way of remembering where they have been and what they have achieved in that place,” she told Olympics.com.
Baobab represents the future
The reverse features the baobab, one of Senegal’s most recognisable symbols and a tree deeply associated with longevity, strength and the passing of knowledge between generations.
Its roots and branches curve upwards to create a sense of movement and growth.
The branches are also designed to resemble cables, representing technology and digital connectivity.
The design therefore links Senegal’s traditional heritage with its ambitions for a younger, more connected generation.
That balance between history and the future has been central to Senegal’s preparations for Dakar 2026.
Global competition
The medal design competition was launched in September 2025 and attracted entries from designers in 103 countries.
India, Senegal, Brazil, Mexico and France submitted the highest number of proposals.
Barbadillo Vicario’s design was selected as the winner, with Agisilaos Kyriazis of Greece finishing second with ‘The Sun of Values’.
India’s Elizuba Joe Abraham finished third with ‘The Celebration of Triumph’.
Barbadillo Vicario will attend Dakar 2026 after receiving an invitation from the organisers, while her design will become part of the Games’ history when the first medals are awarded.
The Youth Olympic Games have invited young designers to create medal designs since Singapore 2010, when Japanese designer Setsuko Fukuzawa’s ‘Yes Youth Can’ became the first winning entry.
Designers from Slovakia, Romania, Indonesia, New Zealand and Brazil have since followed that tradition.
At Dakar 2026, the medals will carry a distinctly Senegalese identity as the country prepares to welcome the world for the first Olympic event on African soil.