Kibet, Chelimo deliver Uganda's first medals at Dakar Youth Olympics
Michael Kibet claimed Uganda's first bronze in the men's 2000m steeplechase before Keren Chelimo added another in the women's 3000m final.
Uganda secured its first medals at this year's Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, after winning two bronze medals in athletics on Monday (November 9). Michael Kibet claimed Uganda's first bronze in the men's 2000m steeplechase before Keren Chelimo added another in the women's 3000m final. (Photo by Julius Kafuluma)
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Uganda secured its first medals at this year's Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, after winning two bronze medals in athletics on Monday (November 9.
Michael Kibet claimed Uganda's first bronze in the men's 2000m steeplechase before Keren Chelimo added another in the women's 3000m final.
Kibet, who was competing in the 2000m steeplechase for the first time, finished third behind Ethiopia's Abdo Junedin and Kenya's Wesley Kipkech.
He started strongly, leading the field during the first three laps, before the Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes overtook him in the final lap.
Kibet clocked 5:39.50, finishing just over three seconds behind silver medallist Kipkech, with both athletes recording personal bests. Junedin won gold in 5:29.30.
Chelimo claimed Uganda's second bronze in the women's 3000m final, finishing behind Ethiopia's Tsigab Yordanus and gold medallist Faith Rono of Kenya.
Chelimo clocked 9:32.42 to register a personal best in a highly competitive race dominated by the Kenyan athlete.
She kept pace with the leading runners until the final bell, but Rono and Yordanus outsprinted her to the finish line.
The women's 3000m has been a favourable medal-winning event for Uganda at recent Youth Olympic Games. In 2018, Sarah Chelangat won gold while Oscar Chelimo claimed bronze in the same event at the Games in Argentina.
Baskaline Cherotwo and Timothy Cheptoyek will be seeking to add to Uganda's medal tally when they compete in their respective finals.
Cheptoyek will be hoping to win Uganda's second medal in the men's 800m at the Youth Olympic Games, following Geoffrey Balimumiti's silver at the 2014 edition in Nanjing, China.
Meanwhile, Cherotwo will carry Uganda's medal hopes in the women's 1500m final scheduled for 8:15 pm.
Cherotwo, who turned 17 on Sunday last week, has already won two silver medals in the event at recent continental competitions.
She secured silver at last year's ANOCA Games in Algeria, clocking 4:26.93, before adding another silver at the Africa Youth Games in Angola in May, where she posted 4:28.26.
She recently recorded a season's best of 4:15.14 at the IFAM Outdoor Championships in Belgium, one of the fastest times posted this year in the junior women's 1500m category.