Naomi Cesar ‘ready for anything’ after qualifying for 800-m final at YOG

MANILA — Naomi Cesar advanced to the final of the women’s 800 meters in athletics in the 4th Youth Olympics, finishing third in her heat at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium in Dakar, Senegal.

Cesar clocked two minutes and 20.16 seconds, with event favorite Netsanet Selemon of Ethiopia topping the other heat in 2:08.28.

Both athletes’ times are off their personal best—Selemon at 2:04:40 and Cesar at 2:06:24, a Philippine record she set in the Portland Track Festival at the Grisworld Stadium in Portland only last June.

Jasper Tanhueco, secretary-general of the Philippine Track and Field Association, believes Cesar has a “credible chance” at a medal if their personal best times are taken in consideration.

The 800m final is set at 5:10 p.m. Dakar time Monday (1 a.m. Tuesday Manila).

“I felt good about my run, it was really smooth,” said Cesar, who won the 800-m gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok in December 2025, as well as a silver at the Asian Youth Games also last year in Bahrain.

“I’m really excited about tomorrow and I’m ready for anything,” she added.

Cesar is one of nine Filipino athletes sent to the YOG by the Philippine Olympic Committee and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Morocco’s Khadija Elmostaqim (2:14:10), Chile’s Valentina Cancino (2:16.01), Togo’s Yvette Kpatcha (2:19.34) and Slovenia’s Masa Weber (2:19.89) ran faster than Cesar to also advance to the final,

Completing the cast are Botswana’s Mpho Maano (2:21.34), Mali’s Awa Diarra (2:23.35) and El Salvador’s Ashly Benitez (2:23.51).