Uganda’s athletics team has made an encouraging start to its campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, collecting two bronze medals through Michael Kibet and Keren Chelimo, while Racheal Chelimo and Timothy Cheptoek have also delivered notable performances at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop in Dakar, Senegal.
The campaign has already provided a glimpse of Uganda’s emerging athletics talent, with the young athletes combining podium finishes, personal bests and competitive performances against some of the continent’s strongest junior runners.
Leading Uganda’s opening appearances was Racheal Chelimo, who became the first Ugandan athlete to compete in athletics at the Games. Competing in the women’s 2000m steeplechase on Sunday, 8 November, Chelimo finished fifth in a personal best time of 6:49.56.
It was her first time competing in the 2000m steeplechase, making the performance particularly encouraging as she adapted to the demands of the event on the international stage.
Kenya’s Abigael Kosgei won gold in 6:30.24, ahead of Ethiopia’s Mekonen Abera, who clocked 6:32.15 for silver, while Turkey’s Elif Celik completed the podium in 6:36.99. Chelimo finished ahead of Slovakia’s Nina Okuliarova, who came sixth in 6:58.22, as well as four other competitors.
Her coach, Ziana Cheptoyek, sees a bright future for the young athlete in the event, with the Dakar experience providing valuable exposure as she continues developing her steeplechase career.
Uganda’s medal breakthrough came on Monday, 9 November, when Michael Kibet and Keren Chelimo each secured bronze in their respective long-distance races, producing a memorable afternoon for the Ugandan contingent.
Kibet stepped onto the podium in the men’s 2000m steeplechase after a determined run that saw him remain within the leading group from the opening stages of the race.
He crossed the finish line in 5:39.50, a personal best, to claim bronze behind Ethiopia’s Junedin Abdo, who won gold in 5:29.30, and Kenya’s Wesley Kiplagat Kipkech, who took silver in 5:36.28.
Kibet’s performance was particularly impressive considering the quality of the field, as he finished more than six seconds ahead of Spain’s Pablo Vazquez, who clocked 5:46.05 for fourth place.
The East African dominance continued in the women’s 3000m, where Keren Chelimo secured Uganda’s second bronze medal of the athletics competition.
Chelimo clocked a season’s best 9:32.41 to finish third behind Kenya’s Faith Rono, who claimed gold in 9:15.47, and Ethiopia’s Yordanos Tsigab, who settled for silver in 9:15.71 after a closely contested finish.
Chelimo maintained a comfortable gap over Argentina’s Zoe Gorski, who finished fourth in 9:47.83, crossing the line more than 15 seconds ahead of her closest challenger outside the medal positions.
Interestingly, both the men’s 2000m steeplechase and women’s 3000m podiums were exclusively occupied by athletes from East Africa, underlining the region’s strength in youth distance running.
Beyond the two medals, Uganda also has reason to look forward to the remaining track events, with Timothy Cheptoek securing his place in the men’s 800m final following an impressive performance in Monday’s semi-finals.
Cheptoek finished third in the second semi-final in a personal best time of 1:55.21, behind Kenya’s David Sekento, who won in 1:54.02, and Ethiopia’s Yomif Abebe, who clocked 1:54.36.
The Ugandan held off Tunisia’s Wassim Outherni, who finished fourth in 1:55.82, to secure automatic qualification for the final.
His time was the fourth fastest among the automatic qualifiers, putting him in a competitive position heading into the medal race. The second semi-final proved particularly demanding, with its leading four athletes all recording faster times than the qualifiers from the first semi-final, apart from Eritrea’s GhebreabMantay, who won the opening semi-final in 1:51.03.
With two bronze medals already secured and more Ugandan athletes still competing, the athletics campaign is gathering momentum.
Uganda returns to action today, Tuesday, 10 November, with Cheptoek Timothy taking to the track for the men’s 800m final, while Baskaline Cherotwo will represent the country in the men’s 1500m race. Both will be looking to build on the team’s encouraging start and add to Uganda’s medal collection in Dakar.
For Uganda, the performances so far are more than just results on the scoreboard. They reflect the promise of a new generation of athletes gaining valuable international experience, testing themselves against the continent’s best and beginning to announce their arrival on the youth athletics stage.