Locals' Olympic hopes

by Nicholas Duck
The 2026 Youth Olympics kicked off this week in Dakar, Senegal with Warragul represented by two locals aiming for gold.
Bona Vista gymnast Alice Johnson will lead the charge for the Australians in the artistic gymnastics while behind the scenes Warragul resident and former professional cyclist Brenton Jones will be overseeing two athletes as a coach.
The pair recently attended a Queensland camp that brought together all athletes and coaches heading to Dakar to meet and mingle as well as learn from a number of special guests, including three-time Olympic gold medallist Jess Fox.
Johnson, 15, has quickly made a name as one of the country's brightest rising stars in the gymnastics space.
As the current Oceania junior all-around champion she and five other young Australians will take on the world's best.
She will be competing for the best all-around score across the bars, beam, floor and vault. Should she score the highest of any Australian female, she will also get the chance to compete alongside the highest scoring male for a mixed medal.
Johnson has represented Australia internationally on two previous occasions, first at the 2025 DTB Pokal Cup in Germany and as the country's lone representative at the 2025 Junior World Championships in the Philippines.
She also has proven to be a dominant force locally, winning a plethora of medals at the Australian Gymnastics Championships, where she is the four-time reigning gold medallist on bars.
Jones has become a prominent cycling coach since ending his professional career in early 2023 and was asked to join the Youth Olympics team thanks to his work with AusCycling.
"I've always wanted to be asked to do roles like this so to get that call was pretty exciting," he said.
Jones, who will be visiting his 39th country when he touches down in Senegal, will oversee young Aussies Caleb McKenzie and Elsie Apps, with the pair set to wear the green and gold in the road cycling events.
"It'll be really nice to mentor them and and help them in any way I can. I've worked with Caleb before so that'll hopefully make it pretty smooth," he said.
"I think I've got a lot to pass on, a lot of helpful pointers and tips from my career I can share.
"It won't just be their cycling either, it's going to be a lot of mindset work and keeping focussed. There's a lot of work off the bike and on it."
The 2026 Youth Olympic Games are currently on until November 13. Artistic gymnastics will take place from November 7-11 while the road cycling will occur on November 8 and 10.