Groom new javelin throwers, Julius Yego tells Kenyan coaches

In Budapest

The 2015 World Athletics Championships gold medalist in men’s javelin, Julius Yego, has urged Kenyan coaches to cash in on the growing popularity of the sport to groom new talent.

Speaking on Friday after throwing a distance of 78.42 metres in Group ‘A’ of the qualification round which was, however, not enough to guarantee him progression to Sunday’s final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Yego said the sport has changed a lot in recent years and there was need to nurture the next generation of javelin throwers.

“Since I first competed at the world championships in 2013, new talent has come up. New challengers are constantly coming to the scene, just as it was when I came to the scene and won gold in the 2015 World Athletics Championships," Yego, who claimed silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, said.

"At the moment, fresh talent has come up globally, and there is need for Kenyan coaches to keep up with the times, change tack, and groom younger people in the sport locally,” the 34-year-old added.

“My performance was not one of the best. The distance I threw did not put me in the final, but that is what I was capable of doing today. Now I have to move on to the next objective which we will decide jointly with my coach because I am healthy and I feel confident of competing again,” Yego said.

Olympic champion, Neeraj Chopra from India, won Group ‘A’ of the qualification round after throwing a season best 88.77m. Chopra is seeking to upgrade the silver medal he won at last year’s edition of the championship in Oregon to gold in Budapest.

European Games champion Julian Weber from Germany threw 82.39m for second place in the qualifiers.

Two-time champion Anderson Peters from Grenada failed to reach the final after finishing seventh with a throw of 78.49m.

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem threw a season best 86.79 to win Group ‘B’ of the qualification round, followed by Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic with a throw of 83.50m.

Yego said he was delighted to have competed at the top level again after battling with injuries in the last few months.

“Just being able to compete again at this stage after a long time really warms my heart,” Yego, who sustained a groin injury during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games but claimed silver with a single throw, said.

From Rio, he went on to finish 13th at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London. At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, his first three throws went off the course, and he exited the championship.    

Yego picked positives from his outing in Budapest.

“I have come from here with invaluable insights, and I have finished the competition feeling healthy and physically fit, which is in itself a good thing. We did not achieve what we set out to achieve here with my fans, and now we have to accept the results and move on,” Yego said.