Ukrainian Athletes Narrowly Miss the Podium in Beach Sprint at Dakar Youth Olympics

Highlights of Ukraine’s Participation on Day Two of the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games

According to НОК: On November 2nd in Dakar, the second day of competition at the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games featured Ukrainian athletes competing in beach sprint, badminton, and wushu.

• In the mixed beach sprint event, the Ukrainian duo of Mykola Tomchay and Viktoriia Radchenko advanced to the semifinals after defeating the Czech team in the quarterfinals. Although they fell to Austria in the semifinals, they competed fiercely for the bronze medal, ultimately finishing fourth-just 0.65 seconds shy of third place.

• In badminton, Varvara Poperezhay was eliminated in the second group stage match, losing to USA’s Mikhey Cruz with scores of 11-21 and 12-21.

• Wushu competitor Nikita Kucheryuk secured 10th place in the taijiquan discipline and ranked 11th overall when both disciplines were combined.

Ukrainian athletes will continue their efforts in two sports on November 3rd, aiming to improve their standings.

The performances of Ukrainian competitors at the Youth Olympics demonstrate their growing international competitiveness despite some setbacks.

The beach sprint results, in particular, highlight the team’s strong preparation and potential for future events. As the competition progresses, Ukrainian athletes have additional opportunities to enhance their results and possibly secure medals.

As Ukrainian athletes strive for success in Dakar, their preparation for future competitions remains a priority. With a focus on nurturing talent, the country is currently training 38 young competitors for the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2026, aiming to build on their experiences in this year's events.