Four Senegalese paddlers have been selected by the International Olympic Committee as Athlete Role Models for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 and the first Olympic sporting event ever held on African soil.
Canoe Sprint athlete Combe Seck, Canoe Slalom siblings Jean-Pierre Bourhis and Yves Bourhis and Paracanoe star Edmond Sanka have been chosen thanks to the efforts of the Senegalese Canoe Kayak Federation.
The four paddlers will be on the ground in Senegal to engage with the local community, support athletes from other sports from the sidelines and motivate people to take up paddle sport in the future.
Canoeing will be one of 10 engagement sports in Dakar, providing an opportunity, driven by the Senegalese Canoe Kayak Federation, to showcase paddle sport to the public and inspire a new wave of African paddlers to get on the water.
The Bourhis brothers bring together experience from three Olympic Games.
Jean-Pierre, the elder, is a two-time African Championship gold medallist and, alongside his brother have played a pivotal role in advancing Canoe Slalom across the continent.
They are joined by Sanka, a true trailblazer in Senegalese sport. After a lifechanging injury during military service in 2007, Sanka turned to canoeing and rose to become a multiple African champion in Paracanoe.
Sanka made history at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 as Senegal’s first-ever Paracanoe athlete, finishing fifth in the men’s KL3 event.
Completing the quartet is Seck, a product of Senegal’s national high-performance system.
Seck competed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in the women’s C1 200m, and carried the national flag at both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, cementing her status as a leading figure in African women’s sport.
“This opportunity represents a real challenge and is a great source of pride for me,” said Seck.
“Being an Athlete Role Mode in Dakar, my city, is a chance to push myself, bring value, and contribute to something truly meaningful.”
Canoeing will form part of a lively fan engagement zone in Dakar’s Corniche.
This space will feature interactive attractions, including immersive visual displays of the sport and a hands-on paddle machine experience designed to engage visitors.
Organisers are also creating a dynamic festival area that will host live sports screenings and a food court during the day, before transforming into a vibrant entertainment venue in the evening.
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