Montenegro’s athletics team has arrived in Senegal, where its representatives will begin competing at the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games, Dakar 2026, on 9 November. Montenegro will be represented by Lara Bubanja in the long jump, Anđelina Lašić in the javelin throw and Andrej Đukanović in the 400m hurdles. Accompanying the athletes are national athletics team head coach Osman Erović and coach Dragoje Rajković, while Montenegro’s Chef de Mission, Ivan Bošković, welcomed them upon their arrival in Senegal.
Athletics competitions at the Youth Olympic Games will take place from 8 to 10 November. According to the official schedule, all three Montenegrin representatives will make their first appearances on 9 November, with the women’s long jump and javelin throw finals, as well as the men’s 400m hurdles semi-finals, scheduled for that day. The final of the 400m hurdles is scheduled for 10 November.
The Youth Olympic Games officially opened on 31 October at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio. The Games will bring together approximately 2,700 young athletes from around the world, competing across 25 sports until 13 November. Dakar 2026 holds particular historical significance as the first Olympic sporting event to be held on the African continent. Competitions and accompanying activities are taking place across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Lara Bubanja, a 17-year-old athlete from Berane and a member of Lim Athletics Club, will compete in the long jump. She is the national 100m champion in the U18 category and made her debut for Montenegro’s national team earlier this year at the Balkan U18 Championships in Novo Mesto, where she finished ninth. Her participation in Dakar marks another stage in her sporting development, following years of training and results achieved in junior age categories.
Anđelina Lašić, a member of Tara Athletics Club from Mojkovac, will represent Montenegro in the javelin throw. At this year’s Balkan U18 Championships in Novo Mesto, she finished sixth with a throw of 44.04 metres. Last year, she placed fifth at the Balkan U20 Championships in Craiova, competing against older athletes.
Andrej Đukanović, a member of Mornar Athletics Club from Bar, will compete in the 400m hurdles. This year, he was named the most successful athlete at both Montenegro’s U18 and U20 National Championships, winning six medals at each event. He is the national U20 champion in the 400m hurdles, and in October, he set a new national U18 record in the 300m hurdles in Trebinje, breaking a record that had stood for 22 years.
President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (NOC Montenegro), Dušan Simonović, emphasised that participation in the Youth Olympic Games provides an important opportunity for sporting development and international experience, while also underlining the importance of continued support for young athletes.
“Through their results, hard work and dedication, Lara, Anđelina and Andrej have already earned the opportunity to represent Montenegro on the Olympic stage. Ahead of them is a competition that will offer an experience unlike anything they have encountered so far, as well as the chance to compete against the best athletes of their generation from around the world. We wish them successful performances, but also hope they return from Dakar with new knowledge, friendships and motivation to continue their sporting journeys. It is our responsibility to recognise young talent and create the conditions for athletes to develop, because the future of Montenegrin sport is built through their daily efforts and the opportunities we provide,” Simonović said.
Montenegro has participated in the Youth Olympic Games since their inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010. Montenegrin athletes subsequently competed at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2018, while Dakar marks the fourth edition of the event.
Among Montenegro’s notable achievements are the men’s football team’s fourth-place finish at Singapore 2010 and the silver medal won by judoka Ivana Šunjević in the mixed international team competition at Nanjing 2014. At the same Games, athlete Kristina Rakočević finished fourth in the discus throw. Montenegrin athletes have also participated in every edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, held in Innsbruck in 2012, Lillehammer in 2016, Lausanne in 2020 and Gangwon in 2024.
In addition to sporting competitions, the Youth Olympic Games feature educational and cultural activities that allow participants to learn about Olympic values, exchange experiences and build friendships with peers from other countries. For Montenegro’s three athletics representatives, participation in Dakar represents an important step in their sporting careers and an opportunity to gain valuable experience on the international Olympic stage.
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