Kenyan field athlete Julius Yego has spent the last 20 years earning local records and titles in javelin.
He is a five-time African champion, a two-time African Games winner, a Commonwealth gold medallist, an Olympic Games silver medallist, and the African record holder in the event with a personal best of 92.72 metres.
The latest stop in his illustrious career, the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, takes him to a task he describes as “big but very achievable” – becoming world champion again after his extraordinary triumph at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China.
“My plan in Tokyo is to make the final and give a shot at the podium. I have done it before and I want to do it again,” the 36-year-old Yego told Nation Sport.
The 2025 World Athletics Championships will be Yego’s seventh. Four-time 3,000 metres steeplechase world champion Ezekiel Kemboi, with eight appearances, is the only Kenyan athlete who has featured more times in the competition than Yego.
Kenya's Julius Yego competes in the javelin throw during the Absa Kipkeino Classics at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on April 20, 2024.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
In javelin, only four athletes – three time world champion Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic, Russian Sergey Makarov (world champion in 2003), Latvia’s Ēriks Rags, and the German female thrower Steffi Nerius – have appeared in more world championships, eight apiece, than Yego.
“Oh! Is that so? Only four javelin throwers have been to more world championships than me? Quite surprising,” Yego expressed amazement at his longevity.
“I knew Ezekiel Kemboi had more world championships appearances than me and getting close to equalling him is motivating. This deserves a self-hug,” Yego said.
The javelin competition at the 2025 World Athletics Championships starts on Wednesday but Tuesday will feel like 2013 to Yego, the year he marked his World Athletics Championships debut in Moscow with a fourth-place finish and national record throw of 85.40 metres. It is a perception of time that articulates Yego’s astonishment at how fast time flies.
“2013 just seems like the other day. From being one of the youngest competitors in 2013 to now being among the oldest in 2025 is just amazing. I am happy and I thank God for this enjoyable journey. There have been lots of ups and downs but discipline and resilience has kept me going. Nothing beats resilience. It is a virtue that has helped me pick myself up during the toughest moments of my career,” Yego said.
At Tokyo 2025, Yego will compete against Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago (Olympic champion in 2012) and the Polish Marcin Krukowski.
Together with Yego, the three are the only javelin throwers in this edition of the championship who made their World Athletics Championships debut 12 years ago in Moscow.
“There is a great spirit of camaraderie in javelin. Despite being in competition with each other, we support each other a lot and share tips on how to improve our throws during competitions. When I was young, athletes who were our role models and legends of the sport always urged me to enjoy each moment. ‘Your time will come’, they used to tell me and it did come by the way. So, that spirit of togetherness keeps us united and going,” Yego said.
“Younger throwers bring a lot of energy to events, which I like. I love competing with them at the moment. They have big ambitions and the way they are pushing limits makes sport competitive and fun to watch,” Yego added on the impact on young javelin throwers.
At a personal level, Yego, who said he trained himself in the sport using YouTube videos, identifies more with Walcott’s journey.
“Walcott and I have almost the same path in javelin. We came into the sport when it was dominated by Europeans but since then the sport has spread far and wide.”
At Moscow 2013, only 13 of the 33 competitors in the javelin throw were from non-European nations. At Tokyo 2025, that number has almost doubled. Twenty-three of the 37 javelin throwers in Tokyo are from non-European nations, with Asia having 11 representatives, eight more than 12 years ago.
Julius Yego of Kenya Police competes in the javelin throw during Athletics Kenya nationals championship on June 27, 2025 at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The rise of the sport in Asia and other parts of the world has reflected on the podium at the World Championships, with non-Europeans winning the gold medal in four of the last five competitions. Before that, Europe had provided a world champion in javelin in eight consecutive editions.
Yet, Yego feels that Kenya and Africa has lagged behind in claiming a larger stake in the global transformation of javelin and he urges the country and the continent to emulate India, the country of reigning world champion and Olympic silver medallist Neeraj Chopra.
“India has four competitors in men’s javelin in Tokyo. That did not come by luck. They made huge investments in the sport and Kenya and Africa can learn from them. For a long time, I have been Kenya's sole competitor in field events. That does not make me happy because we have talents but we have not been able to nurture them due to lack of quality coaching and proper equipment, infrastructure, and training facilities. Field events are technical events and they require specialised coaching and preparation,” Yego said.
Irene Jepkemboi’s debut in the women’s javelin at Tokyo 2025 gives Yego hope of more Kenyan field athletes taking up the discipline.
“I have mentored Irene and I am happy that she is pioneering women’s javelin in Kenya,” Yego said.
And so, what next for him?
“I hope people are not obsessed with seeing me retire. I know the time to leave is closer for me now than before but I do not want people thinking of that. When the time to leave comes, I will make an official announcement. For now, I am motivated to keep going and achieve more in the sport,” Yego stated.
