2026 Youth Olympics: Kenya’s Young Track Queens Reveal What is Fueling Medal Dream in Dakar

When the athletics schedule guns off at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Kenyans will be expecting medals and the responsibility of doing that is on seven youngsters.

Athletics is the only sport that has brought medals for Kenya at the Youth Olympics, having won 15 (eight gold, three silver, and four bronze) in the previous three editions of the games.

In Dakar, few will bet against that trend continuing even if Kenya has one of the biggest delegations, having selected 53 athletes.

Among them are youngsters Faith Cherotich Rono and Abigael Chepkurui who will be flying Kenya’s flag in the 3000m and 1500m respectively.

They head into the games with experience of running at international level as Rono featured in the 2026 World U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon in August.

In Oregon, the 16-year-old Grande 9 pupil at Katet Comprehensive School Londiani in Kericho finished 10th and she says while she did not make the podium, she left with lessons which she hopes to use to good effect in Dakar.

“In Oregon, the weather was a challenge,” Rono said, recalling the summer heat that affected her.

In Dakar, the weather will similarly be humid but Rono says she has prepared well for what awaits her in Senegal.

“I have received enough experience to beat the odds in Dakar,” she added. “I have no fear anymore because when I got to Oregon, I met other athletes and kind of had that stage fright. That fear is now gone and I am ready to fly Kenya’s flag,” said Rono, who finished third in the U20 race at this year’s Chepsaita Cross-Country Run.

Rono and Chepkurui are based at Kericho’s Lemotit Athletics Camp under coach Paul Kimei and he is confident that his athletes will bring medals from Dakar.

“I have high expectations because they have prepared well,” said Kimei. “When Faith went to Oregon, it was the first time and after she returned, we sat down and she explained what went wrong.”

Kimei says he has corrected the mistakes of Oregon and believes the world will see the best of Rono and her teammates at the Youth Olympics.

“It was her first time to represent Kenya but when she came back, we rectified where we saw there was a problem. We have polished her speed and endurance,” he further stated.

“We have also boosted her confidence and now, she has a spring in her step unlike when she went to Oregon.”