Abigael Kosgei and Enoch Tuitoek won athletics gold for Kenya at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Abigael Kosgei overcame a steeplechase stumble, while Enoch Tuitoek won the 3,000m with a decisive finishing kick.
Abigael Kosgei and Enoch Tuitoek won gold at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, November 8. Their victories lifted Kenya’s gold-medal tally to three, following an earlier triumph in women’s rugby sevens.
Kosgei, 16, set a personal best in the women’s 2,000m steeplechase despite stumbling at a water barrier. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Tuitoek secured the men’s 3,000m title after holding off a close challenge from Ethiopia’s Goytom Mekonen.
Kosgei recovers to claim Dakar 2026 gold
Kosgei finished in 6:30.24, recovering from a third-lap setback in Dakar’s demanding heat. She briefly stumbled at the water barrier but regained her composure and worked back into contention.
After reclaiming the lead, the Kenyan faced pressure from Ethiopia’s Mekonen Abera in the closing stages. However, she gradually pulled away to secure gold and record her fastest time in the event.
Abera took silver in 6:32.15, while Turkey’s Elif Celik earned bronze with a time of 6:36.99. Kosgei’s recovery and strong finish gave Kenya the first of its two athletics titles on the day.
Tuitoek holds off Ethiopian challenge
Tuitoek then added another gold with a winning time of 8:07.69 in the men’s 3,000m. He controlled much of the race, managing his pace as the leading runners competed for position.
As the finish approached, Tuitoek launched the decisive kick that carried him to victory. Mekonen stayed close but finished 0.55 seconds behind him, taking silver in 8:08.24.
France’s Meziane Benhammou completed the podium in 8:11.59. Both races therefore ended with Kenyan winners ahead of Ethiopian silver medallists, continuing the countries’ distance-running rivalry.
President William Ruto also congratulated the teenagers in a social media post. He praised their victories and thanked them for adding two gold medals to Kenya’s campaign.
Ruto said the results strengthened Kenya’s ranking at the Games and encouraged the team to keep performing. Together with the women’s rugby sevens title, the athletics victories brought the country’s gold total to three.
