Uganda’s Timothy Cheptoek has won bronze in the men’s 800m final at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, bringing the country’s medal tally to three.
Cheptoek clocked a personal best of 1:51.59 at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop on Tuesday, improving his previous best of 1:55.21 set in Monday’s semi-finals by an impressive 3.62 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Abebe claimed gold in a personal best of 1:48.99, while Eritrea’s Ghebreab Mantay took silver in 1:49.31. Denmark’s Magnus Kofoed finished fourth in 1:52.12, with Kenya’s David Sekento, who had beaten Cheptoek in the semi-finals, settling for fifth in 1:53.61.
Cheptoek’s bronze adds to others of the same color won by Michael Kibet in the men’s 2000m steeplechase and Keren Chelimo in the women’s 3000m.
In the women’s 1500m final, Uganda’s Baskaline Cherotwo finished fifth in 4:33.75. Ethiopia’s Elsabet Amare won gold in 4:28.02, followed by Kenya’s Abigael Chepkirui and Eritrea’s Kanari Estifanos.
Meanwhile, Refugee Olympic Team athletes Rachid Rochene and Florence Masumbe, both based in Uganda, recorded personal bests in their respective 200m semi-finals.
Rochene clocked 24.32 in the men’s race, while Masumbe posted 29.54 in the women’s event.
