Yego on a mission to strike gold in Tokyo

Julius Yego (KEN) of Kenya competes  [REUTERS]

His 92.72m throw in the 2015 World Championships in Beijing makes him the fifth best in the world.

Julius Yego’s 88.24m throw on August 20, 2016 during the ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/athletics/2001400799/noc-k-visits-athletics-camps-ahead-of-tokyo-olympics">Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games< struck a silver medal. The throw remains his second best.

It was a surprise performance by an athlete who prides himself in training through YouTube, and was not in his best form going to Rio.

Yego, who has not competed since 2019 when he represented Kenya at the="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/athletics/2001400799/noc-k-visits-athletics-camps-ahead-of-tokyo-olympics"> World Championships in Doha,< Qatar, is eyeing gold in Tokyo Olympic Games, a show which was pushed from 2020 to 2021 following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The former world champion and African javelin throw record holder said he is in top form and hoping to maintain the form as he retreats to his training base at the Eldoret Sports Club in Eldoret.

He says the sports club has the best training space and is one of the discreet places, conducive for his training.

He told Standard Sport that he will be training hard in the next five months with an eye on a gold medal.

Yego, 32, had hinted last August that the postponed 2020 Olympic Games might be the last in his fascinatingly splendid javelin career.

The police officer said his mission to strike gold and fling his career to a new level will depend on a maintained top form.

“I won silver in 2016 and this time, I want to try my best to win gold. I know every javelin athlete is eyeing gold, and I can’t be left behind. We must all aim for the best,” a confident Yego said.

Yego said cancellation of competitions during the 2020 season helped him recover from injury.

Julius Yego, the African and Commonwealth champion competes in the Javelin throw men final during day two of the National Trials for 2016 Rio Olympics Games held at Kipchoge Keino stadium in Eldoret, Kenya on June 31, 2016. [Photo/Stafford Ondego]

His 92.72m throw at the 2015 ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/athletics/2001400799/noc-k-visits-athletics-camps-ahead-of-tokyo-olympics">World Championships Yego, who earned the name The YouTube athlete due to his online training, said he foresees an increase in medals for Team Kenya at the Olympic Games, which will be staged in July and August because of the low number of competitions last season.

“It is my hope that the uncertainties on the Covid-19 and the restrictions on sports are cleared so that athletes prepare well,” Yego said.

Last year, German's Johannes Vetter came close to breaking Czech Republic’s Jan Zelezny’s world record of 98.48m after throwing 97.76m.