Cesar eyes potential medal in women’s 800m in Dakar Youth Olympic Games

DAKAR, Senegal —Naomi Marjorie Cesar advanced to the final of the women’s 800 meters in athletics at the Dakar YOG and if personal bests are to determine the order of finish on the podium, she’s locked in on the silver medal. Cesar clocked two minutes and 20.16 seconds to finish third in her heat on Sunday at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium, 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. No one else in the final are close to their personal bests. “If we go to the PBs, Naomi has a credible chance at the silver,” said Jasper Tanhueco, secretary-general of the Philippine Track and Field Association who’s here to oversee Cesar and Pi Durden Wangkay’s competitions. The 800m final is set 5:10 p.m. Dakar time Monday (1 a.m. Tuesday Manila). “I felt good about my ran, it was really smooth,” said Cesar, the youngest to win the 800m gold at the Bangkok SEA Games last December and also has a silver at the Asian Youth Games...