Speaking at a joint IOC and Dakar 2026 press conference, IOC President Kirsty Coventry welcomed wushu's place on the Youth Olympic programme and said she intends to attend the competition at the Dakar Expo Center from 1 to 3 November.

Wushu will have a high-profile spectator when it makes its Olympic debut in Senegal. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said in Dakar this week that she plans to attend the wushu competition at the Youth Olympic Games and use the occasion to get to know the sport better.

Coventry made the comments on Thursday at a joint press conference held by the IOC and the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee on the eve of the Games. Responding to a question from Xinhua, she welcomed the inclusion of wushu on the programme and acknowledged how much the sport means to China, where it originated.

"I'm looking forward to going and watching wushu and learning more about it."

Three days of taolu at the Dakar Expo Center

According to the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), the wushu events will be held from 1 to 3 November at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX). Dakar 2026 is the first Olympic event ever staged in Africa, and wushu taolu is one of the sports appearing on the Youth Olympic programme for the first time.

Around 48 young athletes will compete for four sets of medals: men's and women's changquan combined, and men's and women's taijiquan combined. Preliminary rounds are on 1 and 2 November, with the finals on 3 November. For a full breakdown of the format, see our guide: Dakar 2026 Wushu Taolu Explained: Two Routines, One Score, Top Eight to the Final.

A key moment for wushu's Olympic ambitions

The presence of the IOC President in the competition hall carries weight for the wushu community. The Youth Olympic debut is widely seen as an important test for the sport's long-term Olympic hopes, and the IWUF has prepared for it with an online training camp for taolu athletes and Athlete365 education courses for athletes and their entourage.

Wushu athletes are also in the spotlight before a single routine is performed. China's changquan athlete Lin Yilei and Canada's taijiquan athlete Miranda Wei were named flag bearers for their teams at the opening ceremony. Read more here.

EUWUSHU.TV will follow the competition in Dakar from the first routine to the final medal ceremony.

Sources: UNI India / Xinhua, IWUF.

Photo: IWUF

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