Team SA wins first gold at Dakar 2026

Callum Dreyer claimed Team South Africa’s first gold medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, by winning the Men’s Coastal Beach Sprints Solo rowing event.

His time of 2:15.65 easily bested Spain’s Diego Molina Martinez, who finished in 2:44.39 in the head-to-head final.

Hungary’s Adam Moor claimed bronze, edging out Egypt’s Yossof Moursi by 0.23 seconds with a time of 2:23.57.

“I am so proud to win this medal for South Africa and for Africa as a whole. This was my first time competing in rowing coastal beach sprints, and I became more confident with every race. This is an honour. Thank you to my coaches and the support of the Team South Africa family,” he said after the race.

In the initial time trials at Saly Beach West in Dakar, Dreyer placed fourth overall out of 32 competitors with a time of 2:35.94 on the water, thereby qualifying for the last 16.

Dreyer defeated Lithuania’s Justas Domarkus in the Last 16 Knockout, clocking 2:19.71 against 2:21.43, to advance past the opening knockout round.

The quarterfinal was tight, but Dreyer edged out Czechia’s Ondrej Zizka by 0.14 seconds, finishing in 2:24.52.

“The start of that race went completely wrong. When I got into the boat to take off, my oar got stuck in the sand, and I lost quite a bit of ground. Fortunately, I was able to come back strong in the second 250m of the race, and my sprint to the line was quick,” he remarked afterwards.

The win set up a semi-final against Adam Moor, and Dreyer didn’t disappoint. His time of 2:29.35 comfortably beat Moor’s 2:46.79.

Coached by Avlyn Gallwey, the 16-year-old pupil from Hilton College is South Africa’s only rowing representative at the Youth Olympics. Even more remarkable is that he picked up the sport only 15 months before heading to the international event. Although, as the son of seven-time Dusi Canoe marathon champion Martin Dreyer, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

“At first, coming here was just about doing my best and making the most of the experience, but this victory has ignited a flame within me to push myself as far as I can, and I am really excited to see what the future holds for me. This has been an unforgettable experience.”

His win was the first gold for Team South Africa and the fourth medal overall, after the SA Rugby Sevens team claimed silver, and swimmers Leah Markgraaff and Chanel Veldsman achieved silver and bronze, respectively.