Naomi Cesar delivers first medal for PH at Dakar Youth Olympic Games

Naomi Cesar once again made history for the Philippines, this time at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old became the first Filipina athlete to win a medal at the Youth Olympics, after clinching silver in the women’s 800m final early Tuesday morning, Philippine time.

Cesar clocked in a time of 2:09.34 in the final to land on the podium and deliver the country’s breakthrough medal in the Dakar Youth Olympic Games.

The Filipina runner was still trailing behind three runners with 200m to go in the race, before she sprinted her way to the finish line.

She qualified for the final after finishing sixth overall in the semi-finals with a time of 2:20.16.

“I was kind of waiting for the end to just turn it on an go. And just tell myself, when I start I know no one can catch me and I can catch whoever I set my eyes on. So I just trusted in myself,” Cesar told POC Media after the race held at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium.

“I saw them in front of me and I was like, I worked so hard for this, I’m not gonna go home in fourth,” she added.

Cesar’s silver medal is only the country’s second medal in the Youth Olympics, after kiteboarder Christian Tio captured silver in the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“It still doesn’t feel real. Like when I crossed the line, I was like oh my gosh I just medaled at the Olympics. It’s just so unreal, I’m just so happy and so proud of myself,” she said.

“Hopefully. I haven’t really looked that far ahead. But nothing’s off the table and just hopefully to continue to represent the Philippines and make everyone proud,” Cesar replied when asked about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Philippine Athletics Inc. lauded Cesar for her silver medal feat, the first for Philippine athletics in the Youth Olympic Games.

“Congratulations to Naomi Marjorie Cesar for winning the SIlver Medal 🥈 in the Women’s 800m with a time of 2:09.34 at the YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES in Dakar, Senegal!” PATAFA wrote on Facebook.

“This marks the first-ever medal for Philippine Athletics at the Youth Olympic Games and makes Naomi the first Filipina athlete to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games! We are extremely proud of you, Naomi! Our lil 🐐” it added.

Ethiopia’s Netsanet Selemon took home the gold with a time of 2:04.43, while Morocco’s Khadja Elmostaqim clinched bronze in 2:10.05.

Cesar’s latest achievement is an addition to her historic gold medal from the 2025 Southeast Asian Games and silver at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.