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Julius Yego can still topple the greats in the great sport of javelin
22/07/21
18:45
sokapro-Julius Yego can still topple the greats in the great sport of javelin

The African javelin champion is ready to make the continent proud ones more again and has exuded confidence in going passed the sport's greats.

Julius is a four-time African champion in the javelin sport and almost missed out on the World Athletics Championships happening in Oregon, the USA had it not been for his status in the world ranking. He had failed to attain the qualifying mark of 85 meters by the close of the qualification period on 26 June. This is what he had to say about his Oregon participation in the United States of America; "I am excited and feel somewhat lucky to have made it to the prestigious World Athletics Championships again. It's a real honour to get an opportunity to come back at this stage after a long period of unfitness." Last month, he won the African title last month in Mauritius after throwing 79.69 meters and may need to improve on that throw o even reach the final in Oregon, with the mark of 83.50m securing automatic qualification. The top 12 participants will progress if the distance is not met.

Julius Yego made history when he became the first African to win the javelin at the 2016 edition of the World Athletics Championships, with a huge throw of 92.72 meters in Beijing, China. A mark that still stands as the continental record. At the Rio de Janeiro Olympics of 2016, he won the silver medal, yet another feat that he achieved to make the Kenyan people and the African continent proud. This was despite only throwing ones and being wheeled out of the field in a wheelchair after he picked up an injury. The unique thing about Julius Yego and the javelin sport is that he taught himself the sport on youtube, he is self-taught. He will be up against a strong field when the qualifying begins on day seven in Eugene (Friday, 00:05 GMT). Yego had these words to say ahead of the tournament; “My goal is to get to the final because I believe I am still capable of making a strong challenge for top honours. I can still topple the greats” Other top contenders at Oregon will include; the reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India who has a season's best throw of 89.94m as well Grenada's Anderson Peters and Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, two men who have gone past the 90m mark this season among others. 
Image: (Getty Images)