Bulgaria secures 17th quota for Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics

Bulgaria has secured its 17th quota for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games through 17-year-old street skateboarder Yulia Plakhenborch. This addition expands Bulgaria's representation to 13 different sports, including badminton, wrestling, breakdance, gymnastics, cycling, athletics, swimming, skateboarding, archery, taekwondo, wushu, and fencing.

Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) President Vesela Lecheva noted that while organizers initially allocated 15 quotas to Bulgaria, additional slots were secured for judo and skateboarding through the efforts of specific federations and the BOC administration. Plakhenborch, coached by Marin Sladkarov, is an IOC Olympic Solidarity and World Skate scholarship recipient currently preparing for the World Skateboarding Championship in Paraguay.

The final composition of the Bulgarian delegation is expected to be voted on by the BOC Executive Board next week.