A Kenyan, Julius Yego has qualified for the finals in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo 2025.
He threw 85.96m on his first throw and booked himself a spot in the men’s javelin final.
Kenya’s “Mr YouTube Man” has proven he still has the firepower to compete with the world’s best, a decade after his 2015 gold.
Julius Yego was in Group B of the men’s javelin qualification team, which had a total of 18 members. In the 18, only four throwers advanced to the final: Anderson Peters, being first with a big throw of 89.53m, Julius Yego coming in second after throwing 85.96m on his first throw.
The others were Arshad Nadeem with 85.28m, and in the last position was Curtis Thompson, who threw 84.72m. Julius Yego’s win ignites hope of winning a medal in a field where Kenya rarely shines.
In 2015, Julius did the unthinkable by becoming the first Kenyan ever to win a World Championships gold in javelin.
At the IAAF World Championship in Beijing, Yego launched the javelin 92.72 metres, a throw that not only earned him the world title but also set a new African record.
He had broken his own Kenyan record earlier in the season, improving in several events in different competitions. They include the Ostrava Golden Spike, Golden Gala in Rome, and others, culminating in that defining moment in Beijing.
After that pinnacle, Yego’s journey has had many ups and downs. His biggest undoing has been his recurring injuries, including the problem with his groin in 2016, just before the Rio Olympics final, which saw him throw below his best; however, he still managed to secure silver.
Later seasons brought ankle strains and other setbacks that disrupted the rhythm, leaving him short of peak form at major events.
By the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, Yego was no longer a medal favorite, and in some competitions, such as Diamond League circuits, he failed to even make the final rounds, a stark contrast to his days when he regularly threw past 90 meters.
Lack of support for field events in Kenya, like javelin, which remained underfunded and underdeveloped, is another factor that led to his decline. He personally admitted to a lag in access to expert coaching and financial backing.
Despite it all, Yego has proven to be resilient and never gave up. His qualification to the 2025 World Championships final with an impressive 85.96 throw shows that he still has the fire.
Though he is back on the rise, the memory of his decline in 2015 remains a sharp reminder that sporting requires more than just talent. It needs consistent support, world-class facilities, and a strong recovery system for athletes.
Written by Joy Malia Mbunge, TV47
