Paris Olympics: Self-taught javelin star Julius Yego ready for fourth Olympic challenge in Paris

35-year-old javelin thrower Julius Kiplagat Yego is gearing up to compete in the Paris Olympic Games next week.

He is aiming to add another Olympic medal to his collection, having bagged Silver in Rio 2016.

Born to Wilfred Sugut Yego and Theresa Sugut, Julius, born in Tinderet, Nandi County faced significant challenges early on, particularly from his father, who prioritized education over sports. "My father was very strict," Yego shared in an earlier interview with Vice.com.

"He hated the amount of time I spent on sports. It made him very angry, and I couldn't tell him when I was going to the competition. But it's understandable. My parents came from a humble background. They had a maize and sugar farm, and like most African parents, they believed education was the path to a better life."

Education and personal life

Yego's educational journey began at Soba River Primary School and continued at Kapsabet High School. He is now married to Sincy Chemutai, and together they have two sons. Outside of athletics, Yego serves as a career police officer.

What sets Yego apart in the world of javelin is his self-taught approach, earning him the nickname "the YouTube man." "I used to go to the cyber cafe, watch videos of great javelin throwers, observe their training routines, and then practice what I learned the next day," Yego explained in an interview eight years ago.

His passion for javelin ignited at Kapsabet High School. After school, realizing he needed more to become a professional, he turned to YouTube for guidance, as there were no coaches or support systems available. In 2006, Yego won the national junior title and broke the Kenyan junior record with a throw of 67 meters, propelling him into the limelight. He claimed his first national title in javelin at nineteen in 2008 and defended it in 2009 and 2010.

Yego's ascendancy

In the same 2010, Yego received his first national call-up and achieved a personal best throw of 74.51 meters, earning a bronze medal at the African Championships in Athletics in Nairobi. He further improved to 75.44 meters during the Kenyan Commonwealth trials.

His journey took him to New Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where he finished seventh with a top throw of 69.60 meters. Despite lacking a dedicated coach in 2011, he clinched his fourth consecutive Kenyan title and made history at the All-Africa Games by becoming Kenya's first-ever champion in the event, setting a national record with a throw of 78.34 meters.

Professional training and London Olympics

Recognizing his potential, the IAAF awarded Yego a six-month scholarship to train with top javelin coaches in Europe, preparing him for the 2012 London Olympics.

After intensive training in Kuortane, Finland, Yego returned to Kenya in April 2012 and set a new record of 79.95 meters. During the London 2012 Olympics qualifying round, his throw of 81.81 meters secured his place, making him the first Kenyan javelin thrower to reach this milestone.

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Medals won

Yego's career has soared since then, with notable achievements including a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, gold at the 2015 World Championships, and medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022. He has also triumphed at the African Games and Championships, amassing multiple gold medals and a bronze.

Personal awards

In 2015, he was named SOYA Male Athlete of the Year, and he was also Field Athlete of the Year in 2025.

Road to Paris and medal chances

The Paris Olympics will mark Yego's fourth appearance, following his participation in London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. This time, the journey was particularly challenging as he did not meet the required qualification mark of 85.5 meters and had to rely on world rankings, where he is currently 20th globally with 1210 points.

"The road to Paris has been incredibly tough for me. I'm thrilled to have made the cut through the world rankings. God made it happen, and I'm so grateful," Yego shared in a Facebook post last month.

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An injury at the Kip Keino Classic in April had threatened his dreams of competing in his fourth Olympics, but he recovered in time and is now part of Team Kenya at the Miramas training camp. He is confident heading into the games that commence on July 26th of July.

“My ultimate goal is to win gold; that would see me accomplish my achievements in my career. I have achieved whatever I wanted as a javelin thrower. I want a continuation of it, I don’t want to stop it, I feel I can still do it,” he says in an interview with the National Olympics Committee of Kenya Media.

“For now, I am working on my throws and speed just to get it right, and the distance will automatically come. My target is to qualify for the final, therefore, I am focusing on throwing 82m to get the automatic qualification.

“I love Miramas; it has all the javelin facilities, and that is the most important thing for me. The weather is also good, which is similar to what we will encounter during the games.”

Competition at the Olympics

In Paris, he faces a host of competitors with long throws this year. They include Max Dehning of Germany with a throw of 90.20m, the Czech's Jakub Vadlejch with 88.85m, Germany’s Julian Weber with 88.37m, and India’s Neeraj Chopra with a throw of 88.36m, among others.

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