Dunya Yenihayat showed exactly why she is one of the favourites for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as she put in a stellar performance in the recurve under-18 women’s qualification.
Yenihayat, 17, is the most experienced of the women’s field in Senegal, having shot and won medals for Türkiye’s senior team, which competes at 70 metres – 10 more than the standard under-18 distance.
Her endeavours at the top level proved to be a difference-maker at the Abdoulaye Wade stadium as she not only became the recurve women number one seed but also set the highest Youth Games score yet with 688.
“The competition went very well for me,” said the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games gold medallist after the 72-arrow session. “The weather is really hot here but everyone here did their best. I tried to shoot nice arrows. I am very proud to represent our flag here. I feel so proud and happy.”
Her teammate Muhammet Musab Gülay also shot well in the recurve under-18 men’s event, scoring 673, which meant only Korea bettered the Turkish team in the mixed team rankings.
Kim Sumin could have finished ahead of Yenihayat in both categories, as the Korean also scored 688.
Although the Puebla 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup silver medallist scored one 10s overall, Yenihayat had six more arrows in the X-ring, the central zone within the 10-ring used to break ties in qualification, with 24 compared to the Korean’s 18, securing the top seed.
India’s sole entry in the entire event, Gatha Anandrao Khadake, was not far behind the pair, scoring 687. With these three athletes’ scores well ahead of the rest of the field in the morning session – held in the baking heat of the Senegalese capital – Spain’s Sandra Perez Cumbreras was fourth with 673.
Do not be surprised if these athletes feature prominently on the podium over the weekend.
