Muchirahondo and Lawson Ready for Youth Olympic Games in Dakar
Updated: 4 hours ago
Competition Preview – 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Two of New Zealand’s promising young swimmers, Ariel Muchirahondo (Swim Rotorua) and Alyssa Lawson (Hamilton Aquatics / St Andrew’s), are set to compete at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, with the swimming programme running from 1 to 6 November.
The pair head to Dakar with solid international experience. Muchirahondo won silver in the 100m backstroke at this year’s Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Vancouver, where he and Lawson led the New Zealand team as captains. They also represented New Zealand together at the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Romania, giving them valuable experience racing on the international stage. In Senegal, they will be supported by coach Aidan Withington (Swim Rotorua), who was part of the coaching teams for both the World Junior Championships and Junior Pan Pacs.
Muchirahondo, 17, will line up in the men’s 100m and 200m backstroke, along with the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley. He heads into the Games looking to build on the silver he won in Vancouver, where illness cut his meet short after the first day of racing.
Lawson, 16, takes on a three-event programme, lining up in the women’s 50m and 100m, along with the 50m backstroke. The sprinter was in strong form at the recent New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships in Christchurch, and will be looking to use that experience in Dakar.
More than 300 athletes will take part in the swimming competition, with medals awarded across 30 events at the Complexe Tour de l’Oeuf. The programme includes the 50m disciplines that will make their Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, but excludes some longer events, including the 400m individual medley.
Swimming has been part of the Youth Olympic Games since the first edition in Singapore in 2010, but there are some notable changes to the programme this year. With the exception of hosts Senegal, each National Olympic Committee can enter a maximum of two athletes, compared with four at previous Games.
The Youth Olympic Games have featured some of New Zealand's strongest young swimmers over the years. Three of the four swimmers who represented New Zealand at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires went on to become Aquablacks, including Erika Fairweather, who at 14 was the youngest competitor in Argentina, with her birthday falling on the cut-off date for the minimum age.
New Zealand has been on the swimming podium at the Youth Olympic Games twice, both at the 2014 edition, when Gabrielle Fa’amausili and Bobbi Gichard won bronze in the 50m and 100m backstroke, respectively.
Live coverage will be available on olympics.com, with daily highlights on Sky Sport. See your TV guide for more information.
Daily schedule
Entries and start times are subject to change.
*Progression to finals subject to qualification.
Day One – Sunday 1 November
Heats from 10:00am local, 11:00pm NZDT
11:30pm NZDT – Men's 200m backstroke heat – Ariel Muchirahondo
Finals from 3:00pm local, 4:00am NZDT (2 November NZDT)
4:04am NZDT – Men's 200m backstroke final – Ariel Muchirahondo*
Day Two – Monday 2 November
Heats from 10:00am local, 11:00pm NZDT
11:20pm NZDT – Women's 100m freestyle heat – Alyssa Lawson
Finals from 3:00pm local, 4:00am NZDT (3 November NZDT)
4:00am NZDT – Women's 100m freestyle final – Alyssa Lawson*
Day Three – Tuesday 3 November
Heats from 10:00am local, 11:00pm NZDT
11:51pm NZDT – Men's 100m backstroke heat – Ariel Muchirahondo*
Finals from 3:00pm local, 4:00am NZDT (4 November NZDT)
4:03am NZDT – Men's 100m backstroke final – Ariel Muchirahondo**
Day Four – Wednesday 4 November
Heats from 10:00am local, 11:00pm NZDT
11:16pm NZDT – Women's 50m freestyle heat – Alyssa Lawson
11:45pm NZDT – Men's 200m individual medley heat – Ariel Muchirahondo
Finals from 3:00pm local, 4:00am NZDT (5 November NZDT)
4:00am NZDT – Women's 50m freestyle final – Alyssa Lawson*
4:29am NZDT – Men's 200m individual medley final – Ariel Muchirahondo*
Day Five – Thursday 5 November
Heats from 10:00am local, 11:00pm NZDT
11:06pm NZDT – Women's 50m backstroke heat – Alyssa Lawson
Finals from 3:00pm local, 4:00am NZDT (6 November NZDT)
4:00am NZDT – Women's 50m backstroke final – Alyssa Lawson*
Day Six – Friday 6 November
Heats from 10:00am local, 11:00pm NZDT (6 November NZDT)
11:36pm NZDT – Men's 200m freestyle heat – Ariel Muchirahondo
Finals from 3:30pm local, 4:30am NZDT (7 November NZDT)
4:34am NZDT – Men's 200m freestyle final – Ariel Muchirahondo*
New Zealand team
Name | Club | Role |
Aidan Withington | Swim Rotorua | Head Coach |
Name | Club | Coach |
Alyssa Lawson | Hamilton Aquatics & St Andrew's | Ash Delaney (AUS) |
Ariel Muchirahondo | Swim Rotorua | Aidan Withington |
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