In 2010, Julius Yego, then 21, introduced himself to the world in style.
Popularly known as ‘YouTube Man’ because he learnt javelin throwing through YouTube, Yego aimed high at the 2010 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Nairobi, in front of a roaring home crowd at the Nyayo National Stadium.
He claimed the bronze medal with a throw of 74.51 metres, losing out on gold to Egypt’s Ihab Al Sayed Abdelrahman, who threw 78.02 metres, and silver to South Africa’s Gerhardus Pienaar, who threw 75.96 metres. The young Yego had effectively announced himself to the world on the biggest stage. Since then, he has treated the world to awe-inspiring performances. He has won the world and Commonwealth Games titles in the javelin and also claimed a bronze medal in the discipline.
Now, he is eyeing yet another major milestone on the platform where his success story began.
Julius Yego in action during World Athletics Tour Kipkeino Classic on April 20, 2024 at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Yego, who is an Inspector of Police in the Kenya Police Service, intends to put on a special performance for his fans at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, from 12–17 May, which will be his final appearance at the continental event.
Yego, who is the third most successful male javelin athlete at the continental event, holds the African record of 92.72 metres set in his victory at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. He is aiming for a sixth javelin title at the continental championships.
The most accomplished athlete in the championships is Algerian hammer thrower Hakim Toumi, with seven wins, followed by Algerian decathlon athlete Larbi Bourrada with six. Bourrada is also the reigning African champion.
Yego is heading to Accra hoping to win his fourth consecutive African title in the javelin. If he achieves this, he will equal race walk queen Grace Wanjiru's record as the most successful Kenyan athlete at the championships.
Wanjiru won the women's race walk in the inaugural championship in 2004 and went on to claim five titles, including back-to-back victories from 2008 to 2016.
“It’s such a great honour and historic moment for me…this will be my last Africa event. I didn’t plan to compete in Accra, but my coach inspired me to take a final throw,” Yego said, adding that he has achieved what he had set out to achieve in javelin since winning the bronze medal in 2010.
“In 2010, I was as a young man full of dreams and ambitions, learning the ropes. But now I am ready for my final throw in Africa.”
Kenya's Julius Yego in action at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 on September 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
He revealed that online javelin coach Taylor and Dr Ali Bajwa, who also treats the 2024 Paris Olympics javelin champion Arshad Nadeem, played a significant role in his recovery.
“I am going to Accra to enjoy the game. I have all the medals one can think about from the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games, African Games and Africa Senior Championships,” said the two-time African Games champion.
The 2015 world javelin champion has only missed one of the last seven editions of the continental bonanza and has been unassailable ever since, winning three consecutive titles.
Yego became the first Kenyan to win the javelin event at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships when he won with a throw of 76.68m in Porto Novo, Benin, in 2012. He won in 84.72m at the 2014 edition held in Marrakech, Morocco.
He missed the 2016 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Durban, South Africa, where his compatriot Alex Kiprotich claimed the bronze medal with a throw of 74.08 metres. Phil-Mar van Rensburg, a home athlete, capitalised on Yego’s absence to win with a throw of 76.04 metres, followed by John Ampomah from Ghana, who threw 75.22 metres to take the silver medal. Yego bounced back to reclaim his title at the 2018 Championships in Asaba, Nigeria, with a throw of 77.34 metres to win the gold medal.
Julius Yego in action during Athletics Kenya Nationals Championship at Ulinzi Sports Complex on June 27, 2025. .
Photo credit: File | Nation
The postponement of the 2020 Africa Senior Athletics Championships due to the Covid-19 pandemic did not stop Yego from winning the next two editions. He successfully defended his title at the 2022 event in St Pierre, Mauritius, with a throw of 79.62 metres, and again at the 2024 championship in Douala, Cameroon, where he achieved a throw of 80.24 metres.
Yego, who set national and African records of 92.72 metres at the 2015 Beijing World Athletics Championships, began the current season with a fourth-place finish at the Kip Keino Classic, the Kenyan leg of the 2026 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold. He threw 79.87 metres at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. This was Yego’s first competition since the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he made his seventh appearance at the senior global track and field championship. Yego is the Kenyan athlete with the second-most appearances at the World Athletics Championships after legendary steeplechaser Ezekiel Kemboi, who has made eight appearances.
Yego is part of the Kenyan contingent of 73 athletes who will leave for the continental event on May 10, 2026, where Team Kenya will be seeking to reclaim the overall title lost to South Africa in Douala, Cameroon. Both Kenya and South Africa collected 19 medals, but South Africa's medal haul comprised nine gold, four silver and six bronze, while Kenya's comprised five gold, seven silver and seven bronze.
