Elif Çelik Wins Bronze at Dakar 2026

National athlete Elif Çelik won the bronze medal in the women's 2000 metre steeplechase at the Dakar 2026 Youth Summer Olympic Games, held in Senegal. The 16-year-old athlete completed the race in 6:36.99.

With this result, Turkey raised its medal count to 3 at the end of the organization's 8th day. Earlier, Sema Nur Yüksel won gold in the women's 44 kg judo, and Kırhan Yılmaz won bronze in the 200 metre individual medley swimming.

The athlete from Muş had won gold at the U18 Balkan Championship and finished 5th at the U18 European Championship. Çelik also came close to the Turkish record in the race where she won bronze. She finished 1.11 seconds behind the Turkish record of 6:35.88, which belongs to another athlete from Muş, Elif Akçiçek.