•Yego is optimistic about his recovery and aims to meet the Olympic qualification mark before next week's Kenyan trials.
• Yego made his debut at the global extravaganza in 2012 during the London Summer Olympics where he finished in position 11 with a mark of 77.15m.
Image: FILE
2016 Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego is optimistic of making a historic fourth appearance after suffering a major setback during the Kip Keino Classic.
Nicknamed "The YouTube Man" for his self-taught javelin skills, Yego suffered an injury during the event's first round, forcing him to withdraw.
The competition saw Latvia’s Cakss Gatis (81.74m), Germany’s Thomas Rohler (80.62m) and Belgium’s Herman Timothy (79.94m) claim the podium spots.
“The injury at the Kip Keino Classic set me back. I had to stop training to heal,” Yego explained.
However, he is optimistic about his recovery and aims to meet the Olympic qualification mark before next week's Kenyan trials.
“My body feels fine now. I am confident a big throw is coming. My coaches and management are working on ensuring I participate in international events to meet the Olympic quota before the Kenyan Trials,” he added. The Olympic mark in the men’s javelin throw is 85.50m.
At the recent national championships held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Yego clinched the title with a throw of 81.21m, outpacing Methuselah Kiprop (74.21m) and Alexander Kiprotich (73.16m).
He aims to build on this performance to enhance his chances. “Throwing 80m at the nationals was a good sign. I want to build on that,” he remarked.
Yego made his debut at the global extravaganza in 2012 during the London Summer Olympics, where he finished in position 11 with a mark of 77.15m.
He would later make his second appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics where he claimed silver after throwing a distance of 88.24m. Germany’s Thomas Rohler (90.30m) clinched the title.
He, however, suffered a setback at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics after he was disqualified in the quarterfinal after throwing 77.34m. Yego believes refining his run-up technique is key to achieving the qualification distance.
“My run-up needs improvement. I am working hard to get it right and hit that vital Olympic mark,” he said.
Yego also praised the rising talent in Kenyan javelin—Methuselah Kiprop and Irene Jepkemboi—and predicted success at the upcoming African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, from June 21-26.
“We have young talented throwers in the country. I am mentoring them to ensure they meet the 80m mark shortly. I predict an exemplary performance in Cameroon,” he noted.
Yego’s trophy cabinet includes the 2015 world title where he threw a distance of 92.72m-setting a personal best (PB).
He is also the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion with a distance of 83.87m as well as the 2011 (78.34m) and 2019 (87.73m) African Games champion.
He is also a three-time African championships gold medallist in 2012 (76.68m), 2014 (84.72m) and 2018 (77.34m).