Cheptoek Secures Uganda’s Third Bronze as Team Uganda Concludes Another Day of Action in Dakar .
Ali Ssali completes men’s cycling time trial as Uganda records another medal and personal-best performances in athletics at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Team Uganda continued its campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Tuesday, November 10, with athletes competing in cycling and athletics, highlighted by Timothy Cheptoek’s bronze medal in the men’s 800m final.
Cheptoek Leads Uganda’s Athletics Charge
Cheptoek secured Uganda’s third medal at the Games after delivering an impressive performance in the men’s 800m final at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop.
The Ugandan clocked a personal best of 1:51.59 to finish third and claim bronze, improving on the 1:55.21 he recorded in Monday’s semi-final.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Abebe won gold in 1:48.99, while Eritrea’s Ghebreab Mantay took silver in 1:49.31. Denmark’s Magnus Kofoed finished fourth in 1:52.12, just behind Cheptoek.
The medal adds to Uganda’s two earlier bronze medals won by Michael Kibet in the men’s 2000m steeplechase and Keren Chelimo in the women’s 3000m, bringing the country’s tally in Dakar to three.
In the women’s 1500m final, Baskaline Cherotwo finished fifth after clocking 4:33.75. Ethiopia’s Elsabet Amare won gold in 4:28.02, ahead of Kenya’s Abigael Chepkirui, who took silver in 4:29.86, and Eritrea’s Kanari Estifanos, who claimed bronze in 4:31.10.
Meanwhile, Refugee Olympic Team sprinters Rachid Rochene and Florence Masumbe, both based in Uganda, recorded personal bests in their respective 200m semi-finals.
Rochene clocked 24.32 to finish seventh in the second men’s semi-final, while Masumbe also placed seventh in the first women’s semi-final with a personal best of 29.54.
Although neither advanced to the finals, the performances marked personal milestones for the two young athletes as they continued their Youth Olympic Games experience.
Ssali Completes Men’s Cycling Time Trial
In cycling, Uganda’s Ali Ssali returned to the road for the men’s individual time trial, held along the Corniche Ouest course in Dakar.
The 16-year-old completed the 8.5km course in 13:54.68, finishing 38th in a competitive international field.
Slovakia’s Timotej Michalík won gold in 10:10.20, Italy’s Lorenzo Ceccarello took silver in 10:17.94, while Belgium’s Daan Wilmsen secured bronze in 10:20.39.
The time trial provided Ssali with another opportunity to compete after his challenging outing in Sunday’s 76.5km men’s road race, where a right-thigh cramp forced him to withdraw with five laps remaining.
Uganda’s Medal Tally Rises to Three
Uganda’s Medal Tally Rises to Three
Cheptoek’s bronze brings Uganda’s medal count at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to three, with the country’s young athletes continuing to gain valuable international experience across the different disciplines.
The Games run until November 13, with Team Uganda continuing to represent the country on the international stage.
