The International Olympic Committee -IOC- has unveiled the winning design for the obverse of the medals of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, titled “The Roar of Youth”, created by Spanish designer Pilar Barbadillo Vicario. The artwork was selected following an open international call and will be presented to athletes who step onto the podium in Senegal, continuing the tradition of giving each Olympic medal a distinctive identity.
Since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games, medal design has become one of the most symbolic elements of each edition. While the IOC sets common technical requirements, each organising committee is granted creative freedom to reflect the cultural, historical and artistic identity of the host city and country, turning the medal into an object that goes beyond sporting achievement and serves as a lasting material legacy of the Games.
An olive wreath, the Thames or jade as symbols of identity
Throughout the recent history of the Summer Olympic Games, host cities have used medal design to express elements of their cultural heritage. At Athens 2004, the olive wreath directly evoked the origins of the ancient Games, while Beijing 2008 incorporated jade, a material deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, as a symbol of nobility and harmony. At London 2012, the design drew inspiration from the lines of the River Thames to represent the connection between the city, athletes and spectators, and at Rio 2016, recycled materials were used to convey a message of sustainability linked to Brazil’s natural environment.
In more recent editions, medal design has further strengthened its role as a tangible legacy element. At Paris 2024, the medals incorporated original fragments of the Eiffel Tower, literally embedding the host city’s heritage into one of the most recognisable symbols of the Olympic Movement. This evolution has consolidated the medal as a narrative object, capable of telling the story of each edition through its form and materials.
The Youth Olympic Games and design as an educational tool
In the case of the Youth Olympic Games, medal design has incorporated an educational and participatory dimension from the outset. This initiative began at Singapore 2010, when an international competition was launched for young designers, resulting in the “Yes Youth Can” design created by Japanese designer Setsuko Fukuzawa. Since then, the obverse of YOG medals has been conceived as a space for youth creativity and cultural exchange.
Across successive editions, designers from countries such as Slovakia, Romania, Indonesia, New Zealand and Brazil have seen their creations awarded to athletes on the podium, reinforcing the global and diverse character of the Games. This approach has allowed the YOG to experiment with more contemporary visual languages, while maintaining a clear connection to Olympic values.
Dakar 2026 and a contemporary reinterpretation of the Olympic symbol
The design selected for Dakar 2026, “The Roar of Youth”, places a lion at the centre of the medal as a symbol of strength and courage, closely linked to the identity of Senegal. The lion’s mane takes the form of two symmetrical faces inspired by Senegalese art, representing fairness and respect in sport, while the olive crowns they wear refer to the heritage of the Olympic Games and the pursuit of excellence.
The selection process followed an international call that attracted submissions from more than a hundred countries and was assessed by a jury comprising representatives of the IOC, former Olympic athletes and young leaders connected to the Olympic Movement. The reverse of the medal will be designed by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee through a national competition and will incorporate local cultural elements alongside the Youth Olympic Games emblem, further strengthening the link between host identity and universal values.
