Olivia Sánchez wins Olympic silver at Dakar 2026 following a nail-biting finish

The windsurfer from Cádiz has been crowned runner-up at the Youth Olympic Games in the Techno 293 class, level on points with Italy’s Laura Grasso Castagnetta, who took the gold in the play-off.

Olivia Sánchez returns from Dakar 2026 with an Olympic silver medal and the satisfaction of having fought for gold right up to the very end. The Spanish sailor put in a superb performance in the Techno 293 class at the Youth Olympic Games, finishing second with 24 net points – exactly the same as Italy’s Laura Grasso Castagnetta.

The sailor from Cádiz remained among the top positions in the standings throughout the competition, going into the final races still in with a chance of victory. In the thirteenth race, she managed to beat her rivals and then finished fourth in the fourteenth, ending her campaign with a total of 36 points and 24 net points after applying the discard rule.

The wind left the gold medal to be decided by a tie-breaker

The final day could still have changed the outcome, but the wind ultimately had the final say. The fifteenth race had to be suspended due to poor conditions and was eventually cancelled, leaving the final standings with the top two sailors level on points.

Publicidad

The title was then decided by the number of first-place finishes accumulated during the championship, a tie-breaker that favoured Grasso Castagnetta. Olivia Sánchez secured a hugely valuable silver medal after a competition in which she came very close to reaching the top of the podium. China’s Wu Ziyan finished third, with 27 net points.

Another medal for Spanish sport

Olivia Sánchez’s silver brings Spain’s medal tally at Dakar 2026 to ten, comprising two golds, four silvers and four bronzes.

For Olivia, the 2026 Dakar ends with an Olympic silver medal that reflects her performance in a competition decided by the smallest of margins.

Publicidad

STRAIT+