Former world champion Julius Yego has advanced to the javelin final at the Paris Olympics with a spectacular throw of 85.97 meters during the qualifiers.
The African javelin champion, known as the ‘YouTube man,’ secured second place in Group A, trailing behind Germany’s Julian Webber, who threw 87.76 meters. Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch followed in third with an 85.63-meter throw, completing the top three automatic qualifiers.
In Group B, India’s Neeraj Chopra led with a throw of 89.34 meters, followed by Grenada’s Anderson Peters and Pakistan’s Nadeem Arshad.
Yego, a former Team Kenya captain, celebrated his qualification with a triumphant gesture, receiving cheers from the Stade de France crowd. He is aiming to rebound from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he failed to record a legal throw in his first two attempts.
Yego previously achieved gold with a throw of 92.72 meters at the 2015 World Championships, becoming the first Kenyan to win a World Championships gold in a field event. He also earned silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Currently ranked 15th in the world, Yego’s personal best remains his 92.72-meter throw from Beijing 2015. Most recently, he finished second at the African Games in Accra, Ghana, with an 81.74-meter throw in March.
