Ugandan swimmer Peterson Inhensiko will be one of the country’s medal hopes at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, running in Senegal from 31 October to 13 November.
The 17-year-old sprinter will contest four individual events when the swimming programme takes place at the Tour de l’Oeuf (Egg Tower) Complex in Dakar from 1 to 6 November.
Inhensiko arrives in Dakar as one of Uganda’s most versatile young swimmers and will race in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, and 50m butterfly at Africa’s first Olympic event.
He has raced across all four strokes on the continental stage, representing Uganda at the 16th and 17th Africa Swimming Championships in Egypt and Algeria respectively, as well as various editions of the Africa Aquatics Zone III and Zone IV Championships.
He trains with Gators Swim Club in Kampala and Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Club in the United Kingdom, where he attends Bishop’s Stortford College. He also holds national age-group records from his junior years.
“It feels amazing to be selected to represent Uganda at the Youth Olympic Games,” said Inhensiko. “It is something I have worked towards for a long time, so I am really proud to have the opportunity to represent my country on such a big stage.”
The Youth Olympic Games will bring together around 2,700 athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees, and Inhensiko is relishing the step up.
“I am most excited about racing against some of the best young swimmers from around the world,” he said. “It will be a completely different level of competition and a great experience, and I am looking forward to seeing what I can do when I race there.”
Looking beyond Dakar, Inhensiko has clear ambitions. “I want to keep improving my times, represent Uganda at bigger international competitions, and see how far I can take swimming,” he said.
