The 2016 Olympic men’s javelin throw silver medallist Julius Yego is banking on his lucky stars in his bid to claim the global title at the Tokyo World Championships on September 13-21.
The 36-year-old ‘YouTube athlete’ has secured his spot in Tokyo after an impressive 87.72m throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he finished fifth.
Yego knows what it takes to shine on the world stage. He won the world title at the 2015 Beijing championships with a massive 92.72m throw his career best.
It was a world lead then and still stands as the African record. With the Championships returning to Asia, a continent that has brought him and the country success, Yego is embracing fate.
“Every time we go to Asia, Kenya does well. I won in 2015 and now the championships are in 2025. My lucky number is fi ve. I am going for it (world title),” Yego declared.
However, Yego is under no illusions about the challenge ahead. The men’s javelin has evolved into one of the most competitive disciplines, with 90m-plus throws becoming the new standard for podium finishes.
“In the men’s javelin, with the kind of talents we have, you need to get a big throw,” he said. “You saw what happened in Paris, 92m was the winning mark. If you want to win any medal at the moment you need to throw over 90m.”
At the Paris Olympics Pakistani Arshad Nadeem threw 92.97m to claim gold with India’s Neeraj Chopra (89.45m) and Grenada’s Anderson Peters (88.54m).
For Yego, the mission is clear; to break the 90m barrier again—a feat he hasn’t achieved since Beijing. His closest attempt came in Rio 2016, where he threw 88.24m to claim Olympic silver just behind Germany’s Thomas Rohler (90.30m).
“I don’t want to chase my personal best but I have to ensure I hit the 90m mark,” he added. Yego has mapped out a six-event build-up, including Diamond League meets and continental tour events to fi ne-tune his form.
“In technical events, you need to compete, not very much but you need to compete before the major events. My plan this year is to appear in the Diamond Leagues and also continental tour events. The target is to feature in six events before the big showdown in Tokyo,” he explained. His campaign kicks off at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, followed by a home appearance at the Kip Keino Classic on May 31.
Looking back at his 2024 season, Yego remains grateful despite an injury setback in March that disrupted his rhythm.
“The beginning of the season was good up to March when I got injured and then everything changed. However, I was able to show up well for the Paris Olympics and I even surprised myself. I was feeling really good during the two weeks of training before I left for the Olympics.”
It also marked his return to the
Diamond League circuit.
“I was also able to compete in a few
Diamond Leagues. I had missed (the
series) for some time. The year was full
of ups and downs but I thank God it
ended well,” he stated.
