Carlota Dudek backs Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal; first Olympic event in Africa

“It’s going to be magical”: breaking champion Carlota backs Dakar 2026

In Senegal for a visit, French breaking champion Carlota Dudek, a two-time Olympian in 2018 and 2024, is looking forward to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. For the champion, the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa is a unique opportunity to discover a new culture, draw inspiration and inspire the next generation.

At just 24, Carlota Dudek has been dancing for almost two decades. She discovered breaking at the age of six, while still in primary school. Very quickly, one thing became clear: dance would be her playground.

“ I had a breakthrough as soon as I started breaking. It was always an obvious choice for me. I never really had to tell myself, but I always knew that my career would be in dance. I can’t see myself doing anything else, ” she says.

Today, B-girl Carlota already has two Olympic appearances to her name. She competed at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games at the age of 15 before qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the year breaking made its Olympic debut. Those two experiences have had a profound impact on her career.

With Dakar 2026 just weeks away, she now has a special perspective on the next edition of the Youth Olympic Games.

Breaking as a form of expression

She kept her first name as her stage name because it tells part of her story. Carlota proudly embraces her Cuban roots, which play an important role in her artistic identity. “It’s a real source of inspiration for me. When I was little, people used to call me ‘Señorita Carlota’. I’ve always put a little salsa into my breaking. ”

Dance has allowed her to explore her roots and turn them into a strength. “ They became my tool, my weapon to stand out, ” she explains. But above all, breaking gives Carlota a sense of freedom.

Acrobatics, musicality, elegance and femininity: she enjoys playing with the codes of the discipline and pushing its technical boundaries. It is a particularly important space for expression in a sport still largely associated with a male-dominated culture.

“ In breaking, everything is welcome. We take inspiration from everything. Everything is inspiration. You’re always encouraged to be different. The goal is for everyone to stand out and have their own uniqueness. ”

Carlota’s first Olympic experience came in 2018, when she competed at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games . It was a defining moment. “It was quite an experience. I was able to discover the world of high-level sport when we were still considered a cultural and artistic practice. ”

In Argentina, the teenager discovered an environment she knew little about. She met young athletes benefiting from educational support, training within high-performance structures and able to consider their discipline as a genuine career. “Arriving at the YOG and seeing that there were opportunities to build a career in sport was huge for me .”

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That first immersion in the Olympic world changed the way she viewed her own journey. Breaking was no longer simply a passion. It could also become a profession and offer her a career as a high-level athlete.

Six years later, Carlota returned to the Olympic Games, this time on home soil in Paris. “ It was incredible. It was the logical next step. But it wasn’t easy at all. ” The pressure was intense, she recalls. The Games were being held in France, breaking was making its Olympic debut and the host nation was determined to showcase a discipline it had played a major role in developing.

For Carlota, however, the challenge went beyond sporting performance. “ It was a source of pride as a Frenchwoman that France wanted to make our discipline shine. ”

Her second Olympic experience allowed her to continue an adventure that had started in Buenos Aires. “ I loved the values it represents. I think people helped me grow a lot, as a woman and as a dancer. It really showed me how far I could push my limits. ”

Dakar 2026: “A chance to be inspired by another culture”

As Dakar 2026 approaches, Carlota is returning to an environment she knows well, but with an entirely new dimension. For the first time, an Olympic event is being held in Africa. The prospect particularly excites her. “ The fact that these are the first Games in Africa is magical for me. It’s a real honour for us as athletes to be able to come to these lands and represent what we do .”

The breaking champion also sees Dakar 2026 as a tremendous source of inspiration. “In breaking, we take inspiration from everything. It’s a real opportunity to be inspired by another culture. ”

Her time in Senegal has already given her a taste of the welcome awaiting athletes. “ People are so welcoming and so happy to see us. We’re amazed. They give us so much strength. ”

For Carlota, athletes coming to Dakar should also be ready to embrace the unexpected. “We have everything to learn. We have to take it all in so that we can draw from it throughout our careers.”

“It’s going to be a special edition”

Carlota is convinced that Dakar 2026 will be unlike any previous edition. “It’s absolutely certain. It’s going to be a special edition. ” Her conviction goes beyond sport.

For the French athlete, bringing the Olympic Games to Africa is an opportunity to create new connections, discover different culture and help young athletes grow. Her message to the competitors taking part is simple: don’t lose sight of what matters most.

“Think first about what you feel. Why do you dance? Why do you step onto the stage? What do you love? What do you feel when you dance on stage?”

Before the medal, the performance or the result, Carlota wants to remind young athletes of what brought her to the Games in the first place: enjoyment. “ The results come afterwards. They are the culmination of the work and all the love you have for your discipline. ”

In Dakar, young athletes will have the opportunity to write their own first Olympic chapter.

Book your tickets and be part of history.