MANILA — Naomi Marjorie Cesar unleashed a blistering final 100-meter surge to capture the silver medal in the women’s 800-meter race, giving the Philippines its first podium finish at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games in Senegal on Monday (early Tuesday in Manila).
Cesar clocked 2 minutes and 9.34 seconds, overtaking rivals in the closing stretch to finish behind Ethiopia’s Netsanet Selemon, who claimed gold in 2:04.43. Morocco’s Khadija Elmostaqim took bronze in 2:10.05.
The young Filipino middle-distance runner relied on a carefully executed race strategy, conserving her energy in the early stages before accelerating in the final 100 meters to secure the historic silver.
“I was kind of waiting for the end to just turn it on and go and just tell myself that when I start running no one can catch me and I can catch whoever I set my eyes on. So, I just trusted in myself,” Cesar told the POC Media Pool.
Determined not to leave Dakar empty-handed, Cesar said the sight of her competitors ahead of her fueled her decisive finishing kick.
“I saw them in front of me and I was like, I worked so hard for this. I’m not going to come home and fourth,” she recalled.
The breakthrough performance marked a major milestone for Cesar, who admitted she was still overwhelmed by the realization that she had earned a Youth Olympic medal.
“It still doesn’t feel real. Like, when I crossed the line I was like, oh my gosh, I just medaled at the Youth Olympics and it’s just so unreal but I’m so happy and so proud of myself,” she said.
Beyond her silver-medal achievement, Cesar expressed hopes of continuing to compete internationally and bringing further honors to the Philippines.
“Nothing’s off the table and just hopefully to continue to represent the Philippines and make everyone proud,” she said when asked about her future ambitions.
She also urged aspiring Filipino athletes to pursue their dreams with determination despite discouragement and self-doubt.
“Just keep believing in yourself and chase after your dreams and don’t listen to anyone that says you can’t because you’re the only one that can tell yourself that. So, don’t tell yourself that,” Cesar said.
Cesar’s silver-medal breakthrough provided an early boost to the Philippine delegation’s campaign in Dakar, putting the country on the medal board at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games./PN
