Rajkumari Wins India's 1st Youth Olympics Wushu Bronze

India's Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu created sporting history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. She secured the bronze medal in the women's Changquan combined event on November 3, 2026. Her historic performance gave India its first-ever wushu medal at the Youth Olympic Games.

Chanu clinched third place with a combined total score of 18.039 points across two distinct routines: Gunshu and Changquan. Egypt's Sondos Sonbol won the gold medal with 18.660 points, while Venezuela's Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado claimed the silver medal with 18.199 points. Chanu finished ahead of Georgia's Gvantsa Karchava, who scored 17.700 points to take fourth place.

Final Performance Breakdown

Chanu delivered two strong routines to secure her spot on the podium:

• Gunshu Routine (Staff Weapon): She opened the competition with a score of 8.723 points, placing fourth in this initial phase.
• Changquan Routine (Bare-Handed): She executed an outstanding bare-handed performance, scoring 9.316 points to finish second among all eight finalists in this segment.

Her overall aggregate score of 18.039 points propelled her from fourth to third place, earning India the bronze medal.

Journey to the Wushu Final

Chanu entered the medal round following a solid performance in the qualifiers, where she scored 17.982 points (8.876 in Gunshu and 9.106 in Changquan) to finish second in the preliminary stage.

Although she set her sights on gold, her bronze medal marks a defining milestone for Indian martial arts on the global stage.

What Is Wushu?

Wushu is a traditional Chinese martial art divided into two broad competitive disciplines:

1. Taolu: Athletes perform judged routines of martial art forms, movements, and weapon techniques. The women's Changquan combined event at Dakar 2026 falls under Taolu.
2. Sanda: A full-contact combat format featuring punches, kicks, and takedown throws.

At Dakar 2026, Changquan routines focused on bare-handed technical precision, while Gunshu routines showcased staff-weapon control.

Wushu's Youth Olympic Games Debut and India's Medal Tally

Dakar 2026 marks the official debut of wushu as an official medal sport at the Youth Olympic Games. Chanu's achievement brought India's total medal tally at the Dakar 2026 Games to three:

• Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada: Silver in women's 63 kg judo.
• Dhinidhi Desinghu: Bronze in women's 100m freestyle swimming.
• Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu: Bronze in women's Changquan combined wushu.

Summary of Results: Women's Changquan Combined