Margherita Gregoroni, the swimmer who will represent San Marino at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, departed from Bologna Airport on Friday, October 30.
Travelling with her were Eros Bologna, Secretary General of the Sammarinese National Olympic Committee, and coach Luca Corsetti. The young athlete’s Olympic adventure thus begins in Senegal, where she will compete in three swimming events and will also have the honour of carrying San Marino’s blue-and-white flag during the opening ceremony.
The first milestone comes on Saturday, October 31, when Gregoroni will parade as San Marino’s flag bearer at the Games’ opening ceremony, set to take place at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio at 7.30pm Italian time.
Waiting for her in Dakar is Chef de Mission Lucia Castiglioni, who arrived in the past few days to handle logistics and prepare for the arrival of the Sammarinese delegation.
Once the opening ceremony concludes, focus will shift to the competitions. Gregoroni will make her pool debut on Monday, November 2 in the 100-metre freestyle, before returning to action on Wednesday, November 4 in the 200-metre individual medley. Her final race will be on Friday, November 6, when she tackles the 200-metre freestyle. The swimming events will run from November 1 to 6 overall.
San Marino’s delegation will be completed in the following days with the arrival of Greta San Martini, expected in Dakar on Wednesday, November 4. The athlete will represent San Marino in athletics, competing in the triple jump event scheduled for Sunday, November 8. Two athletes will therefore be flying the flag for the Titan in this Olympic event.
The Dakar Youth Olympic Games will run from October 31 to November 13 and mark the fourth edition of the summer competition dedicated to young athletes. The event also represents a first in the history of the Olympic movement: it will be the first five-ring event ever hosted on the African continent.
