‘Youtube’ man Yego eyes Worlds glory this year
What you need to know:
- Yego will be aiming to improve on his personal best this season ti 88m. “It’s possible with continued hard work and refining on my throwing techniques,” said Yego.
- The All African Games champion added another silverware to his collection on August 2 when he won the Commonwealth Games javelin title on his third throw of 83.87m, beating Keshon Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago (82.67) and Mahish Peacock (Australia, 81.75).
- Yego matched on to Marrakech, Morocco two weeks later for the Africa Championships where he threw 84.72 to retain his continental title, beating Africa record holder Ihab Abdelrahman El Sayed of Egypt to second in 83.59 as South Africa’s Robert Oosthuizen settled for bronze in 77.81.
After basking in his best ever season last year, Julius ‘Youtube man’ Yego is eyeing more glory this year as he targets a podium finish at the World Championships javelin in August.
Yego, who made history as the first Kenyan to win in field event in the Commonwealth Games at the Glasgow spectacle last year, said he is working on improving his personal best of 85.40 metres attained in a fourth place finish at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
“I would say the 2014 season was my best, winning the Commonwealth Games, finishing second at the Oslo Diamond League, retaining my Africa title and competing at the World Cup,” said Yego, who celebrated his 26th birthday yesterday.
“I am looking forward to a better season devoid of injuries, God willing. My focus is on finishing in the top bracket at the World Championships,” said Yego. The World Championships are due for August 22-30 in Being, China.
Yego will be aiming to improve on his personal best this season ti 88m. “It’s possible with continued hard work and refining on my throwing techniques,” said Yego.
The All African Games champion added another silverware to his collection on August 2 when he won the Commonwealth Games javelin title on his third throw of 83.87m, beating Keshon Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago (82.67) and Mahish Peacock (Australia, 81.75).
There were anxious moments before the final when Yego sustained a groin injury at the warm up zone and almost withdrew.
Yego matched on to Marrakech, Morocco two weeks later for the Africa Championships where he threw 84.72 to retain his continental title, beating Africa record holder Ihab Abdelrahman El Sayed of Egypt to second in 83.59 as South Africa’s Robert Oosthuizen settled for bronze in 77.81.
That saw him qualify for the World Cup also known at the IAAF Continental Cup for the first time in September at the same venue in Marrakech. Yego finished fourth with a throw of 83.06 in an event that went to Ihab Abdelrahman El Sayed of Egypt in 85.44.
Yego, who participated in 12 major events last season, had in June 11 lived up to his dream when he chalked his best ever performance in the Diamond League, finishing second in Oslo.
Yego’s last throw did the magic as he hauled a season’s best of 84.17m.
