The Youth Olympic Games will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from October 30 to November 13, 2026. The Finnish Olympic Committee has selected two athletes for the team at this stage. 

– Through the selection process conducted by the International Olympic Committee and the international sports federations, Finland has secured spots for athletes in boxing, coastal rowing, badminton, and taekwondo at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games. We adhere to a flexible selection principle, and through selections prepared in collaboration with the sports federations, we aim to support the preparation of athletes who have demonstrated sufficient ability for the Games. The representatives for coastal rowing and badminton will be decided through national qualification events during the summer, says Finland’s team leader Sari Rimpiläinen. 

This year’s Dakar Youth Olympic Games will feature competitions in 25 different sports, as well as 10 demonstration sports. A total of approximately 2,700 athletes from around the world are expected to participate. Athletes aged 15–17 are eligible to participate. The Dakar Games are the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games, following previous editions held in Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in 2014, and Buenos Aires in 2018. 

The plan was to hold the Games in Dakar as early as 2022, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the event back to the fall of 2026. This will also be the first time that a competition organized under the Olympic umbrella is held on the African continent.  

Athlete selection, May 13, 2026 

(The athlete’s name is followed by their year of birth, their club, and their sports academy)   

Boxing (55 kg) 

Mike Parhiala, 2009, Jyväskylä Muay Thai Club, Jyväskylä Sports Academy 

Antti Parhiala, coach 

Taekwondo (under 49 kg) 

Aina Kirtselis, 2009, Taekwondo Nurmijärvi 

Suvi Mikkonen, coach 

The Finnish Youth Olympic Team will be finalized between August and September 2026. 

For more information:
Sari Rimpiläinen, Finland’s team leader, tel. +358 40 627 6117