Africa makes history: Senegal closes the Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games ended in Senegal on Friday. Organizers saw the event as a milestone showing that the African continent can host major international sporting events.

Around 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 competed for 153 medals in 25 sports over two weeks. The competitions were held in three areas: the capital, Dakar, the nearby city of Diamniadio, and the coastal town of Saly. The closing ceremony took place on Friday evening at the Athletes' Village in Diamniadio, and the Olympic flame was extinguished.

International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said the Games far exceeded expectations. Coventry stated that Africa had shown its capacity to the world and stressed that the continent should build on this experience.

The celebrations in Senegal took place under the shadow of a cost-of-living crisis. Some Senegalese questioned the money spent on the Games. Businesses that had been displaced said the preparations had harmed their livelihoods. Officials, for their part, pointed to infrastructure improvements, training facilities and benefits provided to local companies.

China topped the medal table with 18 golds. Japan placed second with 11 golds, and Russia third with eight golds. Among African countries, Egypt stood out with six golds, while Ethiopia and Senegal each won five golds.

At these Games, beach wrestling featured in the Olympic program for the first time, and Senegal took great pride in it. 16-year-old Elisabeth Diatta won her country's first Olympic gold medal. Senegalese wrestlers added two more gold medals. The Games also marked the first appearance of Baseball5 and the Chinese martial art of wushu in the Olympic program.