Vitalii Tarasiuk has etched his name into the history of Ukrainian athletics by winning the silver medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in the 5000-meter race walk discipline. In the boys' final, the Ukrainian athlete covered the distance in 20 minutes and 55.54 seconds, securing second place. This award marks Ukraine's first athletics medal at the current Games and, symbolically, the first race walk medal at the Youth Olympic Games since 2010, when Ihor Liashchenko won gold in the 10,000-meter walk at the inaugural tournament in Singapore.
Dakar Final: Gonzalez in Front, Tarasiuk on the Podium
The victory in the final went to Spaniard Gabriel Gonzalez, who finished with a time of 20:41.36. Tarasiuk finished 14.18 seconds behind the winner but confidently held onto his second-place position. Japanese athlete Futo Abe came in third with a result of 21:09.22. Thus, the Ukrainian athlete managed to fend off his pursuers to secure silver, bringing Ukraine's total medal count at the Dakar Games to four. The team currently holds one gold, two silvers, and one bronze.
Path to the Podium: From Starokostiantyniv to the International Level
Born on November 30, 2009, Vitalii Tarasiuk represents the Starokostiantyniv Children and Youth Sports School. His coach is Honored Coach of Ukraine Volodymyr Honiak. Tarasiuk is considered one of the country's most promising young race walkers: he regularly updates national records in the U16 and U18 age categories, and his record includes over 20 victories in national youth and junior competitions. In July 2026, at the Ukrainian Junior Championships in Lviv, the athlete set a national U18 record in the 5000-meter race walk with a time of 20:41.12.
International Podium: From Skopje to Dakar
For Tarasiuk, the silver in Dakar is not his first international podium. Back in 2025, at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, he won the bronze medal in the 5000-meter distance with a time of 20:55.71. Thus, within a year, the young Ukrainian race walker confirmed his status as one of the leaders in European and global youth race walking, progressing from bronze to silver at a higher level of competition.
Team Ukraine in Dakar: Medal Standings and Future Prospects
Tarasiuk's silver is the fourth award for the Ukrainian national team at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The first Ukrainian champion of the competition was judoka Khazar Heydarov, who won the gold medal. The bronze medal in beach wrestling was brought by Nikita Kuzmenko, and another silver belongs to fencer Alina Dmytruk. The Youth Olympic Games in Senegal will run until November 13, 2026, and the Ukrainian delegation continues to compete for further honors in various sports.
