14-year-old Honor Fyfe selected for Dakar Youth Olympic Games

New Zealand windsurfing has added another name to its growing list of talent to watch on the world stage, with Honor Fyfe earning selection for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The 14-year-old Manly Sailing Club sailor has been named in the final New Zealand Team confirmed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC), alongside table tennis athletes Anzhuo (Angel) Han and August Xiao. Her selection gives her the chance to compete on the world stage at the Youth Olympic Games later this year, with sailing taking place from 8 November.

Dakar will feature a windsurfing-only programme for boys and girls, with racing held at Saly Beach, around 80km from the Senegalese capital. Athletes will race on the Techno 293 OD.

Fyfe has enjoyed a strong year, winning the Junior Female 6m title at the 2026 iQFOiL New Zealand National Championships in February – her first-ever iQFOiL regatta, just eight weeks after undergoing knee surgery. During the regatta, she battled three days of heavy gusts in a world-class fleet featuring seasoned Olympians and competitors from Australia, Norway, Mexico and Italy.

She backed that up earlier this month by finishing seventh overall in the Under-17 Girls fleet at the Techno 293 Asian Championships in Langkawi, Malaysia. Across 14 races on the same equipment she will use in Dakar, she recorded a best finish of third despite being one of the youngest sailors in the fleet.

Honor Fyfe finished seventh in the Under-17 Girls fleet at the Techno 293 Asian Championships in Malaysia. Photo / Random Sport Shoot

NZOC Chief Executive Nicki Nicol said Fyfe had earned her opportunity through her commitment and performances.

"New Zealand athletes have consistently achieved on the water across generations, and we're excited to see Honor continue that tradition at the Youth Olympic Games," Nicol said. "She has earned this opportunity through her commitment and performances, and we look forward to seeing her represent the New Zealand Team in Dakar.

"To represent New Zealand at a Youth Olympic Games is a significant achievement and recognition of their commitment to their chosen sports," Nicol added. "We know they will embrace the experience and we look forward to welcoming them into the New Zealand Team."

Fyfe's selection comes after a strong 12 months for New Zealand windsurfing, with the wider programme producing a series of impressive results on the international circuit.

In May, 20-year-old Aimee Bright claimed the biggest title of her career by winning silver at the iQFOiL European Championships in Portimão, Portugal, before also finishing second at the Olympic Classes Regatta in Long Beach.

Teammates Veerle ten Have (ninth) and Stella Bilger (10th) also finished inside the top 10 in the women's fleet in the US, while Eli Liefting placed eighth in the men's fleet, with Josh Armit narrowly missing the medal series in 15th and Blake Hinsley finishing 30th.

The team backed those results up at the iQFOiL Class North American Championships at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, where Ten Have and Bright staged an epic battle in the women's fleet. Ten Have edged ahead in the final race to take silver by a single point over her teammate, with Bilger 11th and Daniella Wooldridge 14th. In the men's fleet, Armit claimed silver, finishing just two points off the title, while Liefting was fourth and Hinsley finished seventh.

The youth ranks delivered too, with Finn Davies dominating to win the title after taking six of the 10 races, while Elbe White finished second overall.