Winning medal design revealed for Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

16 December 2025 – “The Roar of Youth” – a striking design by 26-year-old Spanish designer Pilar Barbadillo Vicario – has been selected for the obverse of the medals for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The artwork was selected by a jury following a global call for designs and will feature on the medals awarded to athletes who step on to the podium in Senegal.

KEY FACTS

• “The Roar of Youth” by 26-year-old Spanish designer Pilar Barbadillo Vicario was selected as the Dakar 2026 YOG obverse medal design.

• The medal features a lion, symbolising strength, courage and Senegal, with its mane forming symmetrical faces representing fairness and respect, each wearing olive crowns as a nod to Olympic heritage.

• The design was chosen following a global call for designs that welcomed submissions from 103 countries.

A DESIGN INSPIRED BY SENEGAL AND THE OLYMPIC VALUES

Created following research into Senegalese art and symbolism, The Roar of Youth places a lion at the centre of the design, representing both the host country and the values of strength and courage. The lion’s mane is formed by two symmetrical faces inspired by Senegalese art and symbolising fairness and respect in sport. Each face is adorned with an olive crown, recalling the ancient origins of the Olympic Games and the pursuit of excellence. The design is completed with clean lines, creating a medal that reflects both local culture and the Olympic values.

Explaining her approach, Barbadillo Vicario said: “When I was designing the medal, I was thinking about what you see when you already have it at home afterwards. It represents everything you’ve achieved over time – not only the moment you win it, but all the work behind it and what can motivate you in the future.”

“I FEEL AS IF I HAD WON ONE OF THOSE MEDALS MYSELF”

Currently studying for a master’s degree in UX/UI design, Barbadillo Vicario described the moment she learned she had won as deeply emotional. “I just can’t explain it,” she said. “My sisters and I love the Olympic Games – we always watch them together – and they won’t believe this. Even my fingers were shaking.”

Reflecting on what the achievement represents, she added: “Right now, I feel as if I had won one of those medals myself. Athletes express themselves through sport, and for me it’s art. Knowing that young athletes will wear a medal with my design is just incredible.”

I wanted the medal to help winners remember where they were and what they achieved there. It’s about knowing you’ve travelled, that you’ve been somewhere, and that you’ve achieved something through your effort.

Pilar Barbadillo Vicario

The call for designs, launched in September 2025, attracted submissions from 103 countries, highlighting strong international interest in Dakar 2026, with designers from India, Senegal, Brazil, Mexico and France submitting the highest number of entries. As well as seeing her design awarded to athletes at the YOG, Barbadillo Vicario will be invited to attend Dakar 2026.

The designs were evaluated by a jury featuring International Olympic Committee (IOC) Dakar 2026 Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange OLY; Gangwon 2024 medal design competition winner Dante Akira Uwai; Olympian artist Annabel Eyres OLY; IOC Young Leaders Peniamina Percival OLY and Pragnya Mohan; IOC Young Reporters Yun Su Park and Yann Durand; and Dakar 2026 ambassador Elzo Jamdong. Coordination Commission Chair Kayange presented the jury’s recommendation to the IOC Executive Board last week.

The runner-up was Agisilaos Kyriazis from Greece, with the design entitled “The Sun of Values”, while third place went to Elizuba Joe Abraham from India for “The Celebration of Triumph”.

The reverse of the medal will be designed by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee through a national competition and will incorporate Senegalese cultural elements alongside the Youth Olympic Games emblem.

The opportunity for young designers to create the obverse of the Youth Olympic medals was first introduced at the inaugural YOG in Singapore in 2010, when Japan’s Setsuko Fukuzawa created the “Yes Youth Can” design. Since then, designers from Slovakia, Romania, Indonesia, New Zealand and Brazil have seen their creations presented to young athletes on the podium at the YOG.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together 2,700 of the world’s best young athletes aged up to 17. The Games will be held across three host sites: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.