Javelin thrower Kiprotich on a mission in Australia

Javelin thrower Alex Kiprotich and high jumper Mathew Sawe arrive for training at Kasarani on April 2, 2018. The two will compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Kiprotich noted that Kenya should avail better training facilities for athletes especially in field events, the country having produced a world javelin champion in Julius Yego, who also claimed silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Kiprotich, the 2016 Africa javelin bronze medallist, says his ultimate target is to also break the national record and win Kenya medals in major events.
  • Yego improved his own national record for the fourth consecutive time, hauling   92.72m to win the world title in 2015 in Beijing. That distance, which also counted for an African record, is the fifth best of all time.

Kenya’s javelin thrower Alex Kiprotich is harbouring big dreams as the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast draw closer.

Kiprotich believes throwing beyond 80 metres for his personal best will open doors for him on the big stage in a game he embraced as a primary school pupil in Mount Elgon in 2006.

“I believe that distance has the potential of breaking the ground for me to join the elite at the Diamond League this season,” Kiprotich, who is making his second appearance at the ‘Club Games’, said Monday.

He failed to go past the preliminaries in the 2014 Games in Glasgow.

Kiprotich, who is a Kenya Defence Force officer based at Embakasi in Nairobi, hopes to give his best in Australia despite a myriad of challenges he faced in training camp.

“Athletes in field events suffer a lot due to lack of facilities, which affects training,” said the 25-year-old Kiprotich, who is seeking to improve his personal best of 78.84 metres he threw in 2015.

“I have trained without a proper javelin and shoes. I was told we shall get them in Gold Coast but its difficult using things you are not used to,” said Kiprotich. “We really need to change how we do things as a country, considering where we have reached in sports.”

Kiprotich noted that Kenya should avail better training facilities for athletes especially in field events, the country having produced a world javelin champion in Julius Yego, who also claimed silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Kiprotich, the 2016 Africa javelin bronze medallist, says his ultimate target is to also break the national record and win Kenya medals in major events.

Yego improved his own national record for the fourth consecutive time, hauling   92.72m to win the world title in 2015 in Beijing. That distance, which also counted for an African record, is the fifth best of all time.

“Nothing stands forever and it’s my dream to break that record soon,” said Kiprotich. “I believe scaling up to the big stage like the Diamond League Series will help me achieve my goals,” Kiprotich, who has been training alongside Yego under coach Joseph Mosonik, added.