The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee (COPUR) presented on Wednesday the delegation of 30 athletes in eleven disciplines that will represent the island at the IV Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, to be held from October 31 to November 13 in Senegal. COPUR president Sara Rosario Vélez said the young athletes represent a new generation that has shown discipline, commitment, and a strong desire to carry Puerto Rico’s name to the top.
Esmeralda Butler (skateboarding) and Steven Moreno (table tennis) will serve as flag bearers carrying the Puerto Rican flag during the opening ceremony. Butler arrives after winning gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 with a score of 150.76, while Moreno won three medals in Santo Domingo 2026 and was Puerto Rico’s flag bearer at the Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025.
Vélez said she wants the athletes to compete with pride, enjoy every moment, and return with experiences that help them keep growing, calling them 'Generación Dakar.' The delegation was announced through a special broadcast of 'Conexión Olímpica PUR: Generación Dakar' on COPUR’s social media. The flag ceremony for the delegation will be held Wednesday at 6:00 PM local time at the Casa Olímpica in San Juan.
The Olympic flame began its journey through 14 regions of Senegal in mid-September; the games are the first Olympic event in Africa’s history.