•The former Olympic silver medallist said the Olympic qualification is 85.20m and wants to make sure he attains it during this World Championships to ease pressure on himself.
•The former Commonwealth Games champion said he is feeling much better this year compared to previous seasons and he is looking forward to the ongoing World Athletics Championships
Image: FILE
The 2015 world javelin champion Julius Yego is keen to seal Paris 2024 Olympics slot here in Budapest to give himself enough time to focus on the Summer Games.
The 2016 Olympic silver medallist said he wants to hit the Paris qualification standards of 85.20m to ease pressure on himself.
“That mark is not a joke. That is why I have to remain focused. I guess this will be the right platform for me to seal the Olympics slot. I don’t want to put pressure on myself at the last minute,” said Yego, popularly known as ‘YouTube Athlete’ in local circles.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games champion said he is feeling much better this year compared to previous seasons.
“Though I haven’t featured in so many events this year, I feel more energetic and fit. I have never felt like this in a long time and that gives me a lot of confidence, which is a good sign,” he noted.
Yego is expected to launch his campaign on Friday with the Qualification Round at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.
He said he will be playing his cards closer to his chest as he seeks to recapture the title he last won at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where he posted his current personal best time of 92.72m.
“Even when I was winning the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 World Championships, I had this injury. I have sort of lived with it for the longest time. I was even supposed to go for surgery but I declined,” he revealed.
He said he is feeling much better this year and intends to give the competition his best shot. He observed that javelin athletes are like family and consult every time.
“We consult each other on matters javelin irrespective of status. We also respect each other,” said Yego.
He said he relates well with the likes of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra from India, 2012 world champion Keshorn Walcott, 2017 world champion Johaness Vetter and the current champion Anderson Peters of Grenada among others.
Yego revealed that weather conditions play a big role in determining performance in javelin.
“When it’s raining, it’s bad for all of us just like when there are headwinds,” he said.
The African and Commonwealth record holder hopes the conditions will be kind to them once the javelin programme starts.
However, he regretted the lack of a sponsor but paid homage to coach Joseph Mosonik, who has been with him for the longest time.
On the future of Kenyan sport, Yego predicted an upsurge in the number of girls taking up javelin. He said boys are always in a hurry and many of them are not able to survive the training regime.
"They should know that you don’t just wake up to throw the javelin, you must go through the stages. It took me five years to go beyond 80m,” he said.
Yego has been working with rising star Caroline Anyango as she seeks to create history at the grandest stage, having scooped a silver at the Africa Junior Championships in Zambia.
Tuesday Schedule
Time Sex Event Round
19:40 W 100m/H Heats
20:20 M 80m Heats
20:58 M High Jump Final
21:20 W Discus Final
21:25 W 400m/H Semi-Final
22:00 M 400m Semi-Final
22:31 W 1500m Final
22:42 M 3000m/s Final