Dakar, 10 November. Cyclist Anel Tashbay won the individual time trial at the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games and brought the Kazakhstan team its second gold, the National Olympic Committee said.
Tashbay covered the course in 11 minutes 32.57 seconds. Karolina Gajdukova of Slovakia took second place with 11:37.62 and Angelina Novolodskaya of Russia third with 11:43.65. The distance was 8.5 km, NUR.KZ specified.
In the men's time trial Gleb Novikov finished sixth in 10 minutes 34.15 seconds. Timothée Michalik of Slovakia won with 10:10.20, Lorenzo Ceccarello of Italy was second (10:17.94) and Daan Vilmsen of Belgium third (10:20.39), the National Olympic Committee said.
Two days earlier Tashbay had already fought for a medal: on 8 November she took seventh place in the road race in 1 hour 31 minutes 19 seconds. According to the television channel Astana, 20 cyclists reached the finish together and Kazakhstan was left without a medal, the channel wrote.
The team now has two golds and one bronze. The first gold at these Games was won by judoka Fatima Supygaliyeva, the bronze by triathlete Ramazan Ainegov. In the overall team standings, according to NUR.KZ, Kazakhstan has risen to 22nd place. At the end of the first week, on 6 November, China led the table with nine gold, three silver and two bronze medals, Africanews reported.
The boxers are also still in the fight. Bibarys Ashirbay won his quarter-final in the up-to-70 kg category 5:0 against Noyon Tripura Jani of Bangladesh and reached the semi-final. Before that Aknur Tursyngali (up to 57 kg) had reached the semi-final, the National Olympic Committee said. The Games run until 13 November.
What it means: The gold in the time trial was Kazakhstan's first medal in cycling at these Games and doubled the team's gold count: the first came from judo. Boxing is next, where two Kazakhstanis have already reached the semi-finals. The final place in the standings will be settled on 13 November, when the Games close.
Background: The Youth Olympic Games are a competition for athletes aged 17 and under. The current, fourth Summer Games are being held in Africa for the first time: from 31 October to 13 November in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The programme includes 25 sports.
We have also reported on how judoka Supygaliyeva won gold at the Youth Olympics in Dakar.
