The International Olympic Committee has named rowers Khadija Krimi and Chris Bak to a list of 31 athlete role models ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Krimi is a three-time Olympian, having represented Tunisia in the women’s lightweight double at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and has also competed in every beach sprint world championship since 2021. American Bak is a four-time gold medalist at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, in the men’s solo in 2022, 2024 and 2025 and in the mixed quad in 2023.
Dakar 2026 will be the first time that rowing will feature at the Youth Oympic Games, the first time beach sprint will be part of any Olympic event, and the first time an Olympic competition has taken place in Africa. While Krimi and Bak may be too old to compete in the Youth Olympics, they will be 31 and 30, respectively, by the time of the Opening Ceremony in October, as role models, they will be present to support and advise the younger athletes taking part. And both may be dreaming of representing their countries in beach sprint’s full debut at LA28.