Uganda athletes target first Youth Olympic medal in Dakar

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Uganda's athletes return to the track today with hopes of securing the country's first medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, as three runners take on their respective events and a cyclist continues his campaign.

Michael Kibet and Keren Chelimo will be chasing medals in the men's 2,000m steeplechase and women's 3,000m finals respectively, while Timothy Cheptoek seeks a place in tomorrow's men's 800m final.

Kibet is scheduled to compete in the 2,000m steeplechase final at 5:46 pm, followed by Chelimo in the women's 3,000m final at 6:03 pm. Cheptoek will contest the men's 800m semi-final at 7:10 pm. The events will take place at Complexe Iba Mar Diop in Dakar.

Kibet, 17, has previously competed in the 5,000m and 1,500m but has been introduced to the unfamiliar 2,000m steeplechase at the Games. He will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Zakaria Kiprotich, who won Uganda's only bronze medal at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

Chelimo, meanwhile, brings recent international experience into the women's 3,000m final. She won silver at last year's ANOCA Games in Algeria and bronze at this year's Africa Youth Games in Angola.

Keren Chelimo will take part in the women’s 3000m steeplechase final.

Cheptoek's immediate task is to secure a place in the 800m final, scheduled for Monday at 8:05 pm. A successful semi-final outing would give him another opportunity to compete for a medal.

Baskaline Cherotwo is also scheduled to compete in the women's 1,500m final, although her race time was not provided in the schedule. She has enjoyed a strong year, winning silver at the Africa Youth Games in Angola in March.

In cycling, Ali Ssali will compete in his second time trial ahead of tomorrow's final road race. He is Uganda's sole representative in the cycling competition at the Dakar Games.