The Youth Olympic Games open Saturday, Oct. 31, in Senegal, the first Olympic event ever held in Africa. About 2,700 athletes will compete in 151 events in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly through Nov. 13, according to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Team USA is sending 29 athletes in 12 sports, ages 13 to 18. Daniel Smith, the USOPC's director of summer games, is the chef de mission.

Rugby Sevens Is Almost Half of Team USA's Dakar 2026 Roster

Twelve of the 29 are on the U.S. women's under-18 rugby sevens team. Beach wrestling has three athletes; archery, badminton, beach volleyball and coastal rowing have two each; and breaking, equestrian, skateboarding, taekwondo, triathlon and wushu have one each, per the USOPC roster.

There are no U.S. swimmers. USA Swimming decided not to send a team to these Games, SwimSwam reported.

From the Youth Olympic Games to the Olympics

The Youth Olympics have been a pipeline. The USOPC counts 577 U.S. athletes across Summer and Winter editions, and 89 athletes from YOG rosters have gone on to represent Team USA at the Olympic or Olympic Winter Games. At Buenos Aires 2018, the last Summer edition, U.S. athletes won 18 medals: six gold, five silver and seven bronze.

Host-city preparations and the opening ceremony plans were covered by Africanews. Follow the Games on our Youth Olympic Games page.