Julius Yego advances to javelin final
Kenya's Julius Yego competes in the men's javelin throw athletics event at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 10, 2017. PHOTO | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC | AFP
What you need to know:
- Yego, who went into the event with a season’s best of 87.97m, hauled 83.57m to qualify in Group A qualifier where World leader Johannes Vetter (94.44m) from Germany led through other four qualifiers with 91.20m.
Kenya’s Julius Yego is well on course to defend his World javelin title after he just needed his first throw attempt to storm into the men’s final due for Saturday at the Olympic Stadium.
Yego, who went into the event with a season’s best of 87.97m, hauled 83.57m to qualify in Group A qualifier where World leader Johannes Vetter (94.44m) from Germany led through other four qualifiers with 91.20m.
Kenya's Julius Yego in action during the men's javelin throw at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 10, 2017. PHOTO | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC | AFP
Kenya's Julius Yego competes in the men's javelin throw at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 10, 2017. PHOTO | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC |
The 2007 World javelin champion Tero Pitkämäki of Finland was second in 85.97m followd by Qatari Ahmed Bader Magour in 83.83.
Finland's Tero Pitkamaki competes in the men's javelin throw at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 10, 2017. PHOTO | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC | AFP
Finland's Tero Pitkamaki competes in the men's javelin throw at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 10, 2017. PHOTO | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC | AFP
Yego, also the Olympic silver medallist and the Commonwealth Games champion, did as he promised to go for a descent first throw that will ensure that he qualifies for the final at the arena where he made history five years ago.
Yego, 28, made history as the first Kenyan to take part in field events at the Olympics during the 2012 London Summer Games. He broke his own national record by 69cm, to make it 81.81m in the qualifying round to storm the final where he was placed 12th.
Yego said in a previous interview that he had regained his form.
Yego, a former Diamond League record holder and current national record holder, said he has done everything possible with his coach Joseph Mosonik to be in the best shape.
“I am in the best shape just like when I won the World title two years ago and silver last year at the Rio Olympic Games,” Yego said.
"The only difference is that the Yego in London has matured and knows what to do to qualify for the final and win,” said Yego, the 2012 and 2014 African champion, who is not bothered by his lacklustre show in the Diamond League this season.
Yego noted that three Germans, Olympic champion Thomas Röhler (93.90), Johannes Vetter (94.44m) and Andreas Hofmann (88.79), could be boasting of the best throws in the world this season but the event in London will be a different ball game altogether.
“Anything is bound to happen in the final."
Yego’s season’s best came during the world championships trials when he hauled the best throw on Kenyan soil of 87.97m, ranking him eighth in the world this season.
