Badminton, Triathlon & Artistic Gymnastics athletes selected for Dakar 2026

Badminton, Artistic Gymnastics and Triathlon athletes have been named in the New Zealand Team for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. 

Amy Wang and Tony Yu have been selected in Badminton, Ella Thomas and William Davies in Artistic Gymnastics while Matthew More has been selected in Triathlon. 

New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) CEO Nicki Nicol said selection to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games was a special milestone for the athletes. 

“The Youth Olympic Games provide a unique opportunity to gain international experience and connect with athletes from around the world. We’re excited to welcome these athletes into the New Zealand Team and look forward to seeing them compete in Dakar,” said Nicol. 

Badminton athlete Tony Yu said representing New Zealand at the Games was an honour. 

“It is a huge honour to represent New Zealand at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. I'm deeply grateful to the NZOC, Badminton New Zealand, Badminton North Harbour, my coaches, and my family for their unwavering support throughout my journey. I'm committed to representing my country with pride and giving everything I have.” 

Triathlete Matthew More said he is ready to proudly represent New Zealand.  

“It'll be awesome to meet and compete against athletes from around the world who share the same passion for sport. I'm so grateful to everyone who's supported me to get to this point. I can't wait to make the most of this experience,” said More. 

Gymnastics New Zealand Interim CEO, David Phillips, said they are excited to see William and Ella represent both artistic codes at Dakar 2026. 

“On the back of our recent Commonwealth Games selections, to have junior athletes going to a global event feels significant.  Our community is working hard to build an effective performance pathway, and these selections confirm we are doing the right stuff,” he said. 

Badminton New Zealand Performance Manager, Martin Andrew, said the selections reflected the strength of New Zealand’s emerging talent. 

“I have no doubt that both Amy and Tony will represent New Zealand well with passion and quality as they strive for high level performances. The Youth Olympic Games gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their future ability to achieve on the world stage," he said. 

The selected athletes joining the New Zealand Team for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games:  

Badminton:
Amy Wang – Women’s Singles
Tony Yu – Men’s Singles

Triathlon:
Matthew More – Men’s Individual Triathlon

Artistic Gymnastics:
Ella Thomas – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Individual All-Around
William Davies – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Individual All-Around

Both Ella Thomas and William Davies have also been granted permission to start in the Artistic Gymnastics Mixed Team Event.

Non-travelling reserves:

Badminton
Josephine Zhao – Women’s Singles
Yanxi Liu – Women’s Singles
Larry Li – Men’s Singles
Lucas Qin – Men’s Singles

Triathlon
Jackson Pinique – Men’s Individual Triathlon