Bermuda joins vibrant opening ceremony as Games visit African soil for first time
Swimmer Maggie Mewett and triathlete Gianluca Bortoli shared flag-bearing duties as Bermuda joined a historic opening ceremony for the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.
The fourth edition of the Games officially got under way with a vibrant celebration at the 50,000-capacity Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Diamniadio, marking the first time an Olympic event has ever taken place on African soil.
Mewett and Bortoli led out Bermuda’s contingent during a colourful parade of nations that featured 205 delegations, with most teams embracing gender parity by naming joint male and female flagbearers.
In line with Olympic tradition, Greece entered the arena first, followed immediately by the Refugee Olympic Team, before host nation Senegal brought the parade to a close to thunderous applause.
Over the next fortnight, 2,655 athletes aged between 14 and 17 will compete across 25 sports staged in Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly, with competition running through to 13 November.
