Yego dreams of gigantic throw at Worlds meet

Julius Yego at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games trials, at Kasarani. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego threw his season-best of 80.62m to top the men's javelin final during the Kenyan trials last month, which came just days after claiming his fourth continental title.

Yego bagged gold at the Africa Championships in Mauritius with a 79.69m throw, but his ultimate goal is to get a space at the high table with best throwers, just like when he threw 92.72m to win the 2015 world championships in Beijing.

Born in Tinderet, Nandi County, he developed interest in the event while still a student at Kapsabet Boys High School.

Apart from winning Olympic, World, Africa medals, Yego, 33, also has won the 2014 Commonwealth Games title in Glasgow and All African Games in Maputo in 2011.  

The Kenyan will go head-to-head with the likes of Anderson Peters, who heads to the World Athletics Championships as the stand-out contender for gold.

The 24-year-old Grenadian has shown his sheer class and instinctive competitiveness in a variety of conditions, meeting and eclipsing the challenges thrown down by his many rivals.

India’s Neeraj Chopra, who opened his season in Stockholm Sweden with an 89.94m national and meeting record, will be another threat to gold medal in Oregon.

German’s Julien Webber (89.54m), Czech’s Jakub Vadlejch (90.88m) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kshorn Walcott (89.07) are some of the men with gigantic throws and can make the podium at the championships.