Julius Yego has ever reason to look a happy man. Two years after losing the bronze medal
in the very last throw of the final at the World Championships, 2015 was very different.
Not only did he win the Gold Medal with an African javelin record of 92.72 metres ,
he also became the first Kenya athlete to win a World Championship gold medal
in a throwing event. It was not however, his first major gold medal. He had won the 2012
and 2014 African Championships and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games defeated the
reigning Olympic champion, Keshorn Walcott to win that title. In Beijing his second throw
measured 82.42 and his third won the event. He took his final throw (no mark) as a courtesy
to the large crowd.
See picture below.
| |
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
Julius |
YEGO |
KEN |
92.72 |
WL |
2.
|
Ihab
|
EL-SAYED |
EGP
|
88.99 |
SB |
| 3. |
Tero |
PIKAMAKI |
FIN |
87.64 |
|
| 4. |
Thomas |
ROHER |
GER |
87.41 |
|
| 5. |
Antii |
RUUSKANEN |
FIN |
87.12 |
|
| 6. |
Andreas |
HOFMANN |
GER |
86.01 |
|
| 7. |
Johannes |
VETTER |
GER |
83.79 |
|
| 8. |
Vítězslav |
VESELY |
CZE |
83.13 |
|
The following year at the Olympic Games it was a European who won the javelin, with Julius
second and the defending Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott third. Julius' opening throw in the
final was his best (and only measured throw) plus, on his fourth, he fell over and had to retire
from the competition.
2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Men's javelin Final.
| 1. |
Thomas Röhler |
Germany |
90.30 |
|
| 2. |
Julius Yego |
Kenya |
88.24 |
SB |
| 3. |
Keshorn Walcott |
Trinidad and Tobago |
85.38 |
|
| 4. |
Johannes Vetter |
Germany |
85.32 |
|
| 5. |
Dmytro Kosynskyy |
Ukraine |
83.95 |
PB |
| 6. |
Antti Ruuskanen |
Finland |
83.05 |
|
| 7. |
Vítězslav Veselý |
Czech Republic |
82.51 |
|
| 8. |
Jakub Vadlejch |
Czech Republic |
82.42 |
|