Kenya captain Yego happy for fourth finish in the IAAF World Championships

BY JONATHAN KOMEN

MOSCOW, RUSSIA:  All Africa Games javelin champion Julius Yego was not disappointed missing out medal bracket at the World Championships at Luzhniki Stadium here.

Vitezslav Vesely of Czech Republic wore the crown with 87.37 throw as Tero Pitkamaki (87.07) and Dmitri Tarabin (86.23) settled for silver and bronze medals respectively.

Yego, better known as YouTube athlete, came fourth in 85.05 metres –which is Kenya’s national record that reased the previous mark he posted at the national trials.

The 24-yesar-old Yego, hails from Cheptonon village in Nandi County, had set a 85-metre target at the worlds.

“God gives what you request. I had prayed to God to guide throw 85 metres and I have made it. Although I am a little disappointed missing the bronze medal, I am grateful that I could hit the mark and I am now an elite athlete. It was my dream,” said Yego.

“My wife Sincy (Yego) and my sister Gloria called this morning (yesterday) to wish the best ahead of the competition. My fans in the social media from around the world also did the same but I sprained my knee at the warm track and still have the pains.”

Yego started off with stick-throwing while herding livestock in the tea-rich farmlands of Nandi hills — just as a leisure time engagement.

“When you resolve to do something, measure the effort you put in first. When I threw 80.60, I felt I could do it better. I will keep on focusing on medals, having realised that the target has gone up,” said Yego.

He has deep love for the IAAF-accredited centre in Kuortane, Finland, where his manager Jukka Harkonen comes from.

“I trained there before the Olympics and found it good. And historically that’s where best javelin throwers in the world come from,” Yego, a keen follower of Kenyan rugby 7’s team, said.

But he said he spent little time with his new coach in Kasarani since he is engaged in a job in government.

“I am sure that if I stayed with the coach in Kasarani camp all-time, it could make a difference. We need to invest in field events well. Look at Russia here, they have won gold in 4x400m relays and the rest of the gold medals are form field events,” he said.