After the first routines of the Dakar 2026 wushu taolu competition, China's Lin Yilei ranks first in the men's changquan combined and Marshall Brayton of the USA is third in the men's taijiquan combined. India's Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu is reported second after the women's gunshu. Second routines follow on 2 November, finals on 3 November.

Wushu's first day as an Olympic medal sport ended on Sunday, 1 November, at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX) in Diamniadio with a familiar name at the top of the men's changquan standings. China's Lin Yilei, who carried his country's flag at the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, ranked first after the changquan routine of the men's changquan combined preliminary, Xinhua reported from the venue.

According to Xinhua, 47 athletes from 46 countries and regions are competing in Dakar across four combined events: men's and women's changquan, and men's and women's taijiquan. Every athlete performs two routines over two days, and the combined score decides who reaches the finals.

Video: USA Wushu-Kungfu Federation (USAWKF) / YouTube

Brayton in the medal places for the USA

In the men's taijiquan combined, Marshall Brayton of the United States finished the bare-hand taijiquan routine in third place. Speaking to Xinhua after his performance, Brayton described wushu's arrival at the Youth Olympic Games as a very important moment for the sport and said he hoped the momentum would carry wushu further around the world. His family travelled to Senegal to support him, and the USA Wushu-Kungfu Federation published a short recap of his first day. Malaysia's Lim Kai Shen was also part of the men's taijiquan field, according to the official OIS/IOC photo service.

Women's gunshu and taijishan

In the women's changquan combined, which opened with the staff routine, India's Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu is reported by India Sports Hub to sit second after scoring 8.876 in gunshu. The full standings for the event were not yet available from the organisers at the time of publication.

The women's taijiquan combined began with the taijishan (tai chi fan) routine, led by Singapore's Ng Zhe Nin on 9.300 ahead of Chu Yu En (TPE) and Angel Polo (PHI), both on 9.223. Read our full report on the taijishan session. Further down the field, Benin's Nelcy Noudofinin placed eleventh with 7.933, and Bulgaria's Kalina Slavcheva was ninth on 8.430.

What comes next

Monday, 2 November brings the second routines: men's gunshu, women's taijiquan, women's changquan and men's taijishan. The top eight in each combined event advance to Tuesday's finals, where the first four Olympic wushu gold medals will be decided. EUWUSHU.TV will follow every session through to the medal ceremonies.

Sources: Xinhua, India Sports Hub, Benin Sports, OIS/IOC. Photo: USA Wushu-Kungfu Federation (USAWKF)

Read more on k.sina.cn