Kisumu, October 22, 2026:
Zimbabwe's Olivia Beamish says that sweat, tears and gruelling training sessions were the ingredients behind her golden ride at the CAC Road Cycling African Championships in Kisumu on Thursday, where she upgraded last year's bronze medal to gold in the women's youth road race.
Beamish clocked one hour and 18 minutes to clinch the continental title, a reward for the demanding preparation she endured in training camps.
Rwanda followed with silver and bronze through Gloria Agasaro and Jehovaire Liza.
Beamish, who settled for bronze at the 2025 edition in Diani, was delighted to have climbed a step higher on the podium.
"I went to training camps, I pushed myself hard, my coach pushed me hard. All the sessions were terrible, sweating, crying, but I am glad it paid off," Beamish said.
Despite the pressure that came with the expectation to deliver, the young cyclist kept her composure and produced a winning performance to secure the coveted gold medal. "There was a lot of pressure to perform, but I silenced it down," she said.
Algeria's Mohammed Ferkous celebrates after beating teammate Farouk Oudani and Egypt's Mohanad Ali Mohamed in the Men Youth Road Race at the CAC Africa Cycling Championships in Kisumu on Friday. Photo - CAC Media
Beamish was equally impressed by the demands of the Kisumu course, which tested the riders' technical skills and endurance with its succession of corners, climbs and descents.
"The race was good. I performed well and I am glad about that. The course was good, there were lots of corners, uphills and downhills, but overall, it was a good course," she said. "I want try my best. Keep training hard for next season," Beamish said, adding that she will be attending a training camp in Perth, Australia, from November 13 to December 13.
While Beamish celebrated a golden breakthrough, Kenya's youth cyclists found the going tough against their continental rivals in both the men's and women's road races, struggling to break into the medal bracket as the battle for honours intensified.
In the women's contest, Naomi Jeptanui, a silver medallist in the junior women's race at the National Championships, endured a difficult outing, finishing ninth in 1:27:46.
Jeptanui was Kenya's sole representative in the women's youth road race, shouldering the country's hopes in a fiercely contested field.
The youngster had, however, arrived in Kisumu on the back of a promising start to her 2026 season. She opened her campaign with back-to-back second-place finishes at the National Championships on June 20, claiming silver in both the Individual Time Trial (ITT) and the junior road race.
She followed that impressive showing with victory in the 70km race at the Kericho Cycling Championship before adding another triumph at the Kaptagat Cycling Challenge.
South Africa's gold medalist Beamish Beamish (centre) with the Rwandan pair of silver medalist Gloria Agasaro (left) and bronze winner Jehovaire Liza in the Women Youth Road Race at the CAC Road Cycling African Championships in Kisumu. Photo - CAC Media
However, the continental stage proved a sterner test, with Jeptanui unable to replicate her domestic form against a competitive field.
In the men's youth road race, Kenya's Mickelson Kinjah also struggled to make his mark, finishing 12th in 1:55:30.
Algeria stamped their authority on the men's contest, with Mohamed Ferkous clinching gold in 1:51:54 ahead of compatriot Farouk Ouadani, who clocked 1:51:52, while Egypt's Mohanad Ali Mohamed completed the podium in 1:51:53.
Women Youth Road Race results (38.2km):
1. Olivia Beamish (Zimbabwe) - 1:18:00
2. Gloria Agasaro (Rwanda)
3. Jehovaire Liza (Rwanda)
Men Youth Road Race results (58.6km):
1. Mohamed Ferkous (Algeria ) — 1:51:54;
2. Farouk Ouadani (Algeria) — 1:51:52
3. Mohanad Ali Mohamed (Egypt 🇪🇬) — 1:51:53
