Dunya Yenihayat showed exactly why she is one of the favourites for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as she put in a stellar pole-making performance in the recurve women under-18 qualifications.
Yenihayat, 17, is the most experienced of the women pool in Senegal, having shot and won medals for Türkiye’s senior team, which competes at 70 metres, 10 more than the standard for 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 a new Youth Games record with a score of 688.
“The competition went very well for me,” said the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games gold medallist after the 72-arrow session was concluded. “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 recurve men under-18 with a fine 673, which meant only Korea bettered the Turkish team in the mixed team rankings.
Kim Sumin in fact could’ve been ahead of Yenihayat in both categories as the Korean also dropped 688.
Despite getting more arrows in the 10-ring than the Puebla World Cup silver medallist, however, Yenihayat racked up 24 in the vital X, six more than Sumin’s 18, to hand herself the top seed and record.
India’s sole entry in the entire event, Gatha Anandrao Khadake, wasn’t too far behind the pair also with 687 and given that these three’s scores were far ahead of the rest’s in the morning session – which was baking in the Senegalese capital – as Sandra Perez Cumbreras of Spain’s fourth position from a 673 score, don’t be surprised if the weekend’s podiums could well be topped by these athletes.
