Rising Australian triathlete Piper Anderson has been selected to represent Australia at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, stepping into the Australian team following the unfortunate withdrawal of Addison Houslip due to injury.
For Anderson, the selection marks another significant milestone in a remarkable start to her triathlon journey, while coming in difficult circumstances for her fellow Australian.
Houslip had originally secured Australia’s sole female triathlon quota place after winning the Oceania Junior Championships in Devonport earlier this year, with Anderson finishing in second place to become the first reserve.
AusTriathlon High Performance Director Shaun Stephens said Piper’s selection was a great opportunity while acknowledging the difficult circumstances for Addison.
“We’re proud to see Piper receive the opportunity to represent Australia in Dakar. Her progression in such a short period of time has been impressive, and her performance at the Junior World Championships in Pontevedra showed the exciting potential she has as she continues to develop in the sport.
“At the same time, our thoughts are very much with Addison. We know how much representing Australia at the Youth Olympic Games meant to her and how hard she worked to earn her original selection. We wish Addison the very best with her recovery and look forward to supporting her as she works towards her next goal in her triathlon journey.”
Anderson will now take her place in the Youth Olympic Games following an impressive Junior World Championship debut in Pontevedra, Spain last month. Competing at the 2026 World Triathlon Junior Championships, Anderson finished 13th, including a 17:06 run split.
Remarkably, the World Championships were Anderson’s first international race and just her second triathlon, underlining the rapid progress the 15-year-old has made over the past 12months.
Anderson is part of AusTriathlon’s Aspire Talent Squad on the Gold Coast, established through the Queensland Academy of Sport’s YouFor2032 Talent Search. The squad is coached by two-time Olympian Aaron Royle and is designed to develop emerging athletes through Australia’s High Performance pathway.
Her potential was already on display in Devonport earlier this year, where she produced an impressive performance to finish runner-up to Houslip at the Oceania Junior Championships.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be held in Senegal from 31 October to 13 November, marking the first Olympic event to be held on the African continent. Australia is set to send 41 athletes across 16 sports.
