Former Senegalese Olympic medallist Amadou Dia Ba carries the Youth Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio on October 31, 2026. At the 1988 Seoul summer Games, Amadou Dia Ba won silver in the men's 400 metre hurdles, Senegal's only ever Olympic medal. Nearly four decades later, the west African nation is hosting Africa's first ever Olympics event, the 2026 Youth Games. The Games, Ba told AFP, mark an Olympic success for the continent and Senegal, even if medals have historically remained elusive. (Photo by PATRICK MEINHARDT / AFP via Getty Images)