Kenya's Kosgei and Tuitoek win Youth Olympic golds in Dakar in 6:30.24 and 8:07.69

Abigael Kosgei won the women's 2,000 metres steeplechase at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, on 8 November in a personal best of 6:30.24, and Enock Tuitoek won the men's 3,000 metres in 8:07.69, the World Athletics result sheets for the two finals show.

The two titles, on the opening day of the athletics programme, are Kenya's first athletics golds of the Games. Ethiopians took silver in both races: Tsedikan Mekonen finished 1.91 seconds behind Kosgei in 6:32.15, and Goytom Mekonen was 0.55 seconds behind Tuitoek in 8:08.24.

Türkiye's Elif Çelik took the steeplechase bronze in 6:36.99. The first five all ran personal bests: Uzbekistan's Nasimakhon Mamirova was fourth in 6:41.23 and Uganda's Racheal Chelimo fifth in 6:49.56. Ten athletes finished; Tunisia's Nesrine Yousfi did not start.

In the 3,000 metres, France's Meziane Benhammou was third in 8:11.59. Eritrea's Samuel Niguse finished fourth in 8:14.89, a personal best, ahead of Mexico's Pedro Jaramillo (8:18.41) and Djibouti's Kalid Ahmed Miguil (8:20.97). Twelve men finished.

Kosgei, 16, briefly stumbled at the water barrier on the third lap, The Standard reported, and Tuitoek, 17, won with a finishing kick in the closing stretch.

"I am so happy for this win; the race was tough because of the weather since it is very hot here, but I was determined to get this medal and I dedicate it to myself and to all Kenyans," Kosgei said, as quoted by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

"The competition was tough and I had to change tactics by reducing the pace so as to manage the leading pack," Tuitoek said. "My competitors were all over me and for sure I had to be brave for me to win. If you noticed, I kicked just a few metres before the finish line."

Tuitoek also won this year's Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone 5 Youth Games in Nairobi.

President William Ruto congratulated Tuitoek and Kosgei in a social media post on winning the 3,000 metres and the 2,000 metres steeplechase respectively, and thanked them for "adding two gold medals to Kenya's basket and strengthening our ranking at the Games", as quoted by The Standard.

The two wins took Kenya's gold count at the Games to three, after the women's rugby sevens team, the Rising Lionesses, won gold earlier in Dakar. KBC put Kenya ninth on the overall medal table after the athletics wins, with China first on 17 medals: 11 gold, four silver and two bronze.

On the World Athletics medal table for the athletics events, Kenya and Nigeria shared first place after the first day with two golds each; Ethiopia was ninth with two silvers.

Athletics continues at the Iba Mar Diop Complex on 9 November. KBC named the men's 2,000 metres steeplechase and the women's 3,000 metres as the events where Kenya hopes to add medals; World Athletics lists the women's 3,000 metres final for that day.