Youth Olympic Games provides perfect springboard for Paris 2024 gold medallists
From beach volleyball and boxing to swimming and wrestling, many of the sports at Paris 2024 saw graduates from the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) being crowned as Olympic champions.
The likes of Jess Fox (AUS, canoe-slalom), Kaylee McKeown (AUS, swimming), Abe Hifumi (JPN, judo), Frédérique Matla (NED, hockey) and Napheesa Collier (USA, basketball) had already won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, with each of them returning to the top of the podium in Paris.
But a whole host of stars who also started their Olympic journeys at the YOG clinched their first Olympic titles in the French capital too.
Here, we highlight some of the latest YOG graduates to become Olympic gold medallists.
Ana Patricia and Duda (BRA, beach volleyball)
Brazil’s Ana Patricia and Duda first teamed up at the YOG Nanjing 2014, in what was described as an 'accidental pairing'. Despite winning beach volleyball gold at the Youth Olympics in the People's Republic of China, their partnership was short-lived, with each of them going on to compete at Tokyo 2020 with different playing partners.
The YOG-winning duo joined forces again in 2022, however, and enjoyed almost instant success – clinching the 2022 world title. Their partnership reached even greater heights at Paris 2024, as they clinched Olympic gold by defeating Canadians Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes 2-1 under the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower.
Julien Alfred (LCA, athletics)
Sprinter Julien Alfred – the silver medallist in the 100m at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 – had set her sights on making history at Paris 2024 by becoming the first athlete to win an Olympic medal for Saint Lucia. And the 23-year-old’s dreams were realised in the Stade de France as she clocked a national record of 10.72 seconds to beat the USA’s Sha'Carri Richardson to gold in the 100m. Alfred then went on to double St Lucia’s Olympic medal count by taking silver in the 200m.
Ahmed El-Gendy (EGY, modern pentathlon)
Ahmend El-Gendy had already won silver at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, but Paris 2024 saw him take a historic step up to the top level of the podium, as he became the first athlete from Africa to secure the Olympic modern pentathlon title and the first male athlete from Egypt to win an Olympic gold medal in 20 years. El-Gendy, who won two golds at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018, led the way through three days of competition, eventually setting a world record 1,555 points to win gold in the spectacular surrounds of the Chateau de Versailles.
Marijn Veen (NED, hockey)
Marijn Veen was part of the Netherlands hockey team that finished second at the YOG Nanjing 2014, losing to China in the gold medal match. Lining up alongside Veen that day was Frédérique Matla, who went on to win Olympic gold with the Dutch team at Tokyo 2020.
Veen had to wait for her own shot at Olympic glory, finally getting the call up for Paris 2024, joining former YOG team-mate Matla in the squad. They each scored three goals en route to the final, where they may have felt a sense of déjà vu. Standing between them and the Olympic title was a China team featuring Zhong Jiaqi, Chen Yang and Li Hong, who had denied them YOG gold 10 years earlier. This time, it was Veen and Matla who came out on top, as the Dutch triumphed in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Noah Lyles (USA, athletics)
Noah Lyles had been earmarked as a future Olympic champion ever since he won the 200m title at the YOG Nanjing 2014. Since then, the American had enjoyed great success at the World Championships, winning three successive titles in the 200m as well as the 100m title in 2023. But an Olympic gold had still eluded him, with a bronze at Tokyo 2020 the closest he had come. The 27-year-old finally reached the top of the Olympic podium in Paris as he claimed gold in one of the most dramatic 100m races in history, finishing just five-thousandths of a second ahead of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson.
Kagami Yuka (JPN, wrestling)
Wrestler Yuka Kagami was Japan’s flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony of the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 and ended up claiming a bronze medal in the Argentine capital. She went on to win her first global title at the 2023 World Championships and entered Paris 2024 as one of the favourites for gold in the women's 76kg freestyle event.
The 22-year-old was able to live up to those lofty expectations as she defeated Kennedy Alexis Blades of the United States in the final, prompting joyous celebrations that saw her take a victory lap of the packed Champs-de-Mars Arena, high-fiving fans before embracing her friends and family in the crowd.
Olympic champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.
Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha (CHN, table tennis)
China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha were the stars of the table tennis tournament at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018, winning the men’s and women’s titles respectively while also pairing up to claim the mixed team title. A host of senior team and individual titles have followed, with Sun going on to win singles silver and team gold at Tokyo 2020. The Olympic Games Paris 2024 saw them pairing up to great success once again, clinching gold in the mixed doubles before helping China secure the men’s and women’s team titles too.
Mahina Paul (NZL, rugby sevens)
Mahina Paul now has an Olympic gold medal to go with the YOG gold she won at Buenos Aires 2018, as she helped New Zealand clinch the rugby sevens title at Paris 2024. The 23-year-old played in four matches in the French capital, including a two-try performance against China in the quarter-final victory, as New Zealand went on to beat Canada 19-12 in the gold medal match.
Jordan Díaz (ESP, athletics)
Great things have been expected of Jordan Díaz ever since he twice leapt over 17 metres to win triple jump gold at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018. While he represented Cuba at the YOG, the 23-year-old has since acquired Spanish citizenship and has had to be patient while waiting for the chance to represent his newly-adopted nation on the global stage.
He battled defending Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo for gold at this year’s European Championship, setting a championship record 18.18m to clinch the title, and the pair once again went head-to-head in Paris. In a closely-fought contest, it was Díaz who topped the podium, jumping 17.86m to the Portuguese athlete's 17.84m.
Olympic champion Geno Petriashvili.
David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig (SWE, beach volleyball)
Swedish pair David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig had been the talk of the men’s beach volleyball tournament at Paris 2024, with their innovative jump-set marking them as gold medal favourites. And the 22-year-olds managed to repeat their success from the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 as they clinched the Olympic title – Sweden’s first-ever Olympic medal in beach volleyball.
Abdumalik Khalokov (UZB, boxing)
Uzbek boxer Abdumalik Khalokov added another impressive gold medal to his growing collection with victory in the men’s 57kg event at Paris 2024. The 24-year-old’s latest title came after a unanimous points victory over Kyrgyzstan's Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu in the final and follows gold medals at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018, the 2018 Youth World Boxing Championships, the 2022 Asian Championships, the 2022 Asian Games and 2023 World Championships.
Geno Petriashvili (GEO, wrestling)
After winning bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020, Georgian wrestler Geno Petriashvili finally made it to the top of the podium at Paris 2024, as he clinched gold in the men’s 125kg freestyle event. Those medal-winning exploits came after a fourth-place finish at the YOG Singapore 2010, with Petriashvili improving his placing at each subsequent Games.