NAIROBI, Kenya, November 9, 2026 – Newly crowned Youth Olympics 3000m steeplechase champion Enock Tuitoek admits he almost missed out on the gold medal due to the unsportsmanlike tactics of his competitors in Dakar on Sunday evening.
The 17-year-old said he was forced to switch up on his tactics as his rivals threatened to box him out of contention.
“The plan was that with five laps, I would break away from the leading pack and take control of the race. However, it was not so easy because every time I tried to do so, I was always boxed in, so I had to increase the pace,” Tuitoek said.
The youngster clocked 8:07.69 to clinch Kenya’s third gold at the championships, finishing first ahead of Ethiopian Goyton Mekonen (8:08.24) and Frenchman Benhammou Meziane (8:11.59) who came second and third respectively.
It was also Tuitoek’s second career medal, having also bagged gold at the ANOCA Zone V Youth Games in August this year.
That win, Tuitoek confessed, had whetted his appetite for more medals, specifically, the Youth Olympics.
“It was a huge motivation for me and it made me want to do better coming into this competition. My ambition coming into the Olympics was always to win gold,” he said.
Kenya is now placed fifth on the medal standings with three gold, the junior women’s rugby 7s team setting the pace with victory over Australia, last week.
Abigail Kosgei is Kenya’s other gold medalist, winning the women’s 2000m in a enthralling race on Sunday morning.
