French Olympic officials on Wednesday chose a baseball player and a rower to carry the French flag at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which begin in the Senegalese capital Dakar on 31 October.
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Elsa Lepinay, 16, and 17-year-old Raphaël de Boussac were selected from a list of candidates proposed by federations affiliated with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee.
The pair will lead the French delegation of 69 athletes who will compete in 22 of the 25 sports on the programme.
“I was very surprised when I found out I had been elected flag-bearer," said Lepinay who will feature in Baseball5. "It was really not news I was expecting."
Lepinay, who began playing baseball at the age of eight, took part in last year's Youth World Cup in Mexico.
"Being selected for the Youth Olympic Games was already incredible news," she added. "I didn't expect another announcement like this and it will make the competition even more special."
De Boussac added: "To carry my country's colours and represent all French young people at such an intense and significant moment is something huge, and I am really proud of it.
"It is bound to be an experience that stays with me because it will be magical. I am sure I will remember it for the rest of my life."
Senegal ready to show ‘what it is capable of’ at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics
'Result of many training sessions'
He will take part in the coastal rowing competitions between 31 October and 3 November at the Plage de Saly, some 85 kilometres to the south of Dakar.
"This first Olympic experience is the result of many training sessions and all the commitment I have put into my sport," added De Boussac who is registered with Aviron Seynois in southern France.
"I am delighted to see that it is paying off. I am finding it hard to believe that I am going to compete at the Youth Olympic Games, and on top of that, as a flag-bearer. It is the ultimate achievement.”
The French delegation will be the second-largest after host nation Senegal at the event, which will welcome nearly 3,000 athletes from 207 countries.
Crackdown on LGBT rights
At the previous Summer Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018, France's 99 athletes won 27 medals, including five golds to finish ninth on the medal table.
But preparations for Dakar 2026 have also been overshadowed by concerns over Senegal’s treatment of LGBT people, with a leading human rights group calling on the authorities to halt a crackdown on same-sex relations.
Human Rights Watch said the government’s measures were incompatible with the Olympic movement’s commitments to non-discrimination and human rights.
In March, Senegal’s parliament amended article 319 of the penal code, doubling the maximum penalty for consensual same-sex conduct from five to 10 years in prison. It also criminalised the promotion of, or support for, LGBT people and organisations.
Senegal ready to show ‘what it is capable of’ at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics
"The Olympic Charter prohibits discrimination on any grounds and commits host countries to respect human rights and human dignity,” according to a report by the NGO.
“The ongoing government crackdown on LGBT people raises serious concerns about Senegal’s compliance with international law, the Olympic Charter and Senegal’s own laws,” said Larissa Kojoue, HRW’s LGBT rights researcher.
“LGBT people are being forced to curb their normal activities and to keep from exercising their rights for fear of arrest and increased stigma,” Kojoue added.