DIAMNIADIO, Senegal, Nov. 5, 2026 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
Wushu made history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as its first-ever gold medals in an Olympic-series competition were awarded on November 3, marking a milestone in wushu's international development.
The historic competition was witnessed by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, Gao Zhidan, Minister of Sport of China, and International Wushu Federation (IWUF) President, IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach, IOC Vice-President Nawal El Moutawakel, Baron Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant，Juan Antonio Samaranch and other distinguished Olympic and sports officials.
Held from November 1 to 3 at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX), the competition brought together 47 athletes from 46 countries and regions across four medal 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. From the dynamic movements and acrobatic elements of Changquan to the flowing, controlled movements of Taijiquan, the performances offered spectators a captivating introduction to the diversity of wushu.
All four gold medals were decided on the final day of competition, marking an unprecedented milestone for the sport in the Olympic Movement.
The first of four Wushu Taolu finals to be decided was the Men's Changquan Combine. 15-year-old Lin Yilei of the People's Republic of China held first place after the changquan and was also the best performer in the gunshu, with the judges awarding him a combined winning total of 18.796 points. Asael Christo Jacob Rondonuwu (INA) won silver, with Arash Peahali (IRI) taking bronze.
The Women's Changquan Combined featured the gunshu element in the morning session and Egypt's Sondos Sonbol excelled in both disciplines to win gold ahead of Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado (VEN) and Lanchenbi Chani Rajkumari (IND).
There was glory in the Men's Taijiquan Combined for Hong Kong China's Poon Hao Ran, who scored exactly the same in the taijiquan discipline, which features flowing controlled movements, and the taijishan, in which competitors use a folding fan in their routines. His control and consistency took him to a higher score than Nguyen Khac le Hoang (VIE) in silver with Kawamura Shiki (JPN) taking bronze.
The landmark day of wushu finals ended with the Women's Taijiquan Combined and a display of all round quality by Singaporean Ng Zhe Nin to win gold. The silver medalist was Chu Yu En (TPE), with Germany's Zhuo Mia Aurelja Xianglin in bronze.
