Azerbaijan Wins Two Beach Wrestling Golds as Senegal Tops Medal Table at Dakar 2026
Azerbaijan claimed two gold medals in beach wrestling at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, while host nation Senegal finished as the most successful country in the competition with three gold medals and two bronze medals.
The two-day beach wrestling competition concluded on November 8 at Saly Beach West, with athletes competing across four weight categories. Azerbaijan dominated the men’s finals on the closing day, while Senegal continued its historic campaign with another gold medal in the women’s section.
The competition also marked an important milestone for beach wrestling, which made its Olympic debut at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Azerbaijan Secures Two Gold Medals in Men’s Beach Wrestling
Azerbaijan produced an impressive performance in the men’s events, winning both gold medals on the final day of competition.
Tunar Guliyev claimed the men’s 70kg title after defeating Georgia’s Luka Makharadze 3-1 in a closely contested final. Makharadze initially took a 1-1 criteria advantage, but Guliyev managed to score a decisive takedown with just one second remaining on the clock. An unsuccessful challenge from Georgia added another point to the Azerbaijani wrestler’s score.
In the men’s 90kg final, Elgun Karimli delivered a dominant performance against Georgia’s Nuradin Mustafaev. Karimli secured a 3-1 victory in just 30 seconds, using successive step-outs to take control of the contest and claim the gold medal.
Azerbaijan’s double victory in the men’s competition highlighted its strength in beach wrestling at the Youth Olympic Games.
Senegal Adds Third Gold Medal Through Ndeye Diatta
Host nation Senegal continued its remarkable campaign as Ndeye Diatta won the women’s 45kg gold medal after defeating Mexico’s Karen Rios 3-1 in the final.
The contest featured several dramatic moments, including a successful challenge by the Senegalese team that overturned a scoring decision in Rios’ favour. Diatta maintained her composure in the closing stages and secured the decisive points to deliver another gold medal for the hosts.
Her victory took Senegal’s beach wrestling gold medal tally to three, adding to the two historic gold medals won on the opening day by Elisabeth Diatta in the women’s 55kg category and Maguette Diop in the men’s 80kg category.
Senegal also collected two bronze medals, finishing as the most successful nation in the beach wrestling competition.
Dominican Republic Claims Women’s 65kg Gold
The women’s 65kg final saw the Dominican Republic’s Yolayni Rosado secure the gold medal after defeating Spain’s Graciela Eningo 3-1.
Rosado started strongly, taking an early lead through two successful scoring moves. Eningo managed to reduce the deficit, but Rosado maintained control and eventually secured the victory.
The gold medal was particularly significant for the Dominican Republic, as Rosado became the country’s first gold medallist at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
In the bronze-medal contests, Colombia’s Valery Rubio defeated Algeria’s Meriem Grib 4-0 in the women’s 45kg category, while Mongolia’s Anujin Erkhembaatar claimed bronze in the women’s 65kg event after defeating Egypt’s Malak Abdelgalil.
Beach Wrestling Delivers Historic Moments at Dakar 2026
The beach wrestling competition at Dakar 2026 produced several memorable performances and historic achievements. Senegal’s success was particularly significant, as the host nation secured its first-ever Olympic gold medals through beach wrestling during the Youth Olympic Games.
The event brought together young wrestlers from different countries, providing them with an opportunity to compete on an international Olympic platform. With the sport making its Olympic debut, the competition also represented an important step in expanding beach wrestling’s global presence.
Senegal finished at the top of the beach wrestling medal standings with three gold medals and two bronze medals. Azerbaijan followed with two gold medals, while the Dominican Republic secured one gold medal.
The results marked a memorable conclusion to beach wrestling at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, with Azerbaijan showcasing its strength in the men’s events and Senegal emerging as the overall best-performing nation.
