Kenyan Javelin star Julius Yego, at 35, is embarking on what he calls his last run, aiming for a memorable swan song at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Yego, who shot to global fame at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, has had a career marked by both dazzling heights and formidable challenges.
Back in 2015, a 24-year-old Yego, who had honed his javelin skills through YouTube videos, stunned the athletics world with a mammoth throw of 92.72 meters at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing.
This historic throw not only earned him gold but also established him as the first African global champion in a field event. This mark, a testament to his skill and determination, still stands as the African record nine years later.
A year after his world championship triumph, Yego continued his impressive form with a throw of 88.24 meters, securing a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Summer Games.
However, his Olympic campaign was cut short due to a severe knee injury sustained after his second throw, forcing him to retire from the competition prematurely.
Since that setback, Yego has faced significant challenges in replicating his earlier world-class form. Despite these struggles, he has remained a dominant force in African athletics, winning a record five African titles.
His most recent triumph came this year in Accra, Ghana, where he threw 81.74 meters to clinch the gold on March 22. Though this mark fell short of the direct qualification standard for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Yego secured his spot as a continental champion.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon, Yego is meticulously preparing for what will be his final Olympic appearance. He has set up camp in the southern French city of Miramas, the official pre-Olympics base for Team Kenya.
Despite his previous disappointments at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Yego remains focused on making his last Summer Games a memorable one.
“The place is really nice; it has everything for training, especially javelin. It’s the best place before the Olympics,” Yego shared in a recent interview with Team Kenya media upon his arrival in Miramas. His determination to overcome the odds and return to the podium is evident, though he faces the familiar challenge of training without a specialist coach from Kenya.
To support his preparations, Olympics Kenya has enlisted a French coach to guide Yego through his training regimen. However, the language barrier poses a unique challenge.
“It’s difficult to train javelin without someone to correct you. Sometimes it is very difficult, especially when you are going to a big competition like this, but yeah, there is a French coach here, and there is a problem with the language, and I’m trying to see how it goes,” Yego explained.
“We have a translator sometimes, but it’s difficult. It’s better when you have someone who directly speaks to you. But then, the rest will take care of itself, and what God has planned for me will be mine.”
Yego’s rise to global prominence in Beijing was seen as a breakthrough moment, suggesting that Kenya could become a force in field athletics.
However, the country’s focus has largely remained on its traditional stronghold of distance running. Despite this, Yego has continued to persevere, driven by the goal of cementing his legacy as one of the most formidable javelin throwers in history.
Reflecting on his career, Yego shared, “Professional careers have stages, just like a circle; you start and it will come to an end, but on the way there are ups and downs, so we navigate through those challenges and use them as stepping stones as we celebrate successes.”
His journey has been marked by resilience and an unwavering commitment to his craft, qualities that he hopes will propel him to a fitting farewell on the Olympic stage.
As the track and field program of the Paris 2024 Olympics approaches, Yego’s preparations in Miramas signify more than just physical training; they represent the culmination of a remarkable career defined by extraordinary achievements and the pursuit of excellence against all odds.
His swan song in Paris promises to be a poignant moment for the javelin star and his fans, as he aims to leave an indelible mark on the sport one last time.
