Seventeen-year-old Kabake Lansana has produced a breakout performance at the Olympic Youth Games in Dakar, finishing sixth in the 100m final in a personal best time of 10.91 seconds.

Lansana clocked 10.99 seconds to place third in his semi-final over the weekend, before improving again in the final to smash his previous best of 11.63 seconds set at the Philippine Open in June.

The Port Moresby-based sprinter runs for the Axel Club and was identified through the NCD Championships last year, where he won the U18 sprint events against older athletes. He was later supported by Athletics PNG to attend the National Championships in Goroka.

Club coach Rellie Kaputin has been supervising his training, using programmes supplied by USA-based Dior Lowry.

Athletics PNG President Tony Green described the result as truly outstanding.

"Kabake stood out last year by winning the U18 sprinting events at the NCD Championships running against older athletes," Mr. Green said.

"I mean OK, it wasn't like a world championship with all the top nations there, but it's an Olympic Final. Em bikpela samting."

Mr. Green thanked the PNG Olympic Committee for supporting Lansana and Kaputin at both the Philippine Open Championships and in the relay team to the World U20 Championships in Oregon.