In Kenya’s field events, one name still soars above the rest: Julius Yego. At 36, the “YouTube Man” is lacing up his spikes once more, ready to hurl the spear of hope for Kenya at the Tokyo World Championships.
A veteran of six World Championships and four Olympic Games, Yego remains a national symbol of resilience and self-belief. His career-defining moment came in Beijing 2015, when he uncorked a 92.72m throw to seize the world title, a distance he now chases with the hunger of a man seeking one more taste of greatness.
His trophy cabinet further includes an Olympic silver medal from the Rio 2016 Games when he launched an 88.24m throw to finish behind Germany's Thomas Rohler (90.30m).
The 2022 Commonwealth bronze medallist has already announced his resolve to chase a second World title. "I promise that I will come back home with a medal," Yego said during the flag handover at State House, Nairobi.
As captain of Team Kenya’s Tokyo squad, Yego shoulders both leadership and expectation. The men's javelin throw in Tokyo will kick off on September 17 with two qualification rounds before the final set for the following day. Yego's most recent outing was at the Zurich Diamond League final on August 28, where he placed fifth after an 82.01m throw.
Germany's Julian Weber claimed the finals trophy with a 91.51m mark, with Neeraj Chopra (85.01m) and Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott (84.95m) in second and third place.
Yego was pleased with his strong performances throughout the 2025 season. "End of the Diamond league circuit 2025, it has been an incredible season for me to come back and compete in this circuit again after a long time out."
"I enjoyed every bit and time in the runway, a feeling I had lost and working my way back has been nothing but sheer hard work, courage, determination and a heart of steel, not surrender in time of poor results," Yego shared. Unlike last year, when he only managed three throws beyond 80m before the Paris Olympics, Yego has already breached that barrier seven times in 2025, an encouraging sign ahead of Tokyo.
Yego launched his 2025 campaign at the Doha Diamond League in May, securing ninth place after a 78.52m throw. The meeting saw Germany’s Julian Weber unleash a world-leading 91.06m to claim victory. Chopra soared into the 90m club with 90.23m, while Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada threw 85.64m for third. He followed it up with an appearance in front of the home crowd at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on May 31.
Yego once again struggled to find his groove, placing ninth with a below-par 74.71m. Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio da Silva (86.34m) claimed top honours, with Germany’s Thomas Röhler (80.79m) and Portugal’s Leandro Ramos (80.68m) completing the podium. The 2015 World champion, however, turned his season around the following month with two dominant displays in Finland.
On June 11 at the Motonet GP meet, he uncorked a season-best 82.95m to take the win, leading 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott (79.98m) and Finland’s Taneli Juutinen (78.24m). Six days later, at the Turku continental meet, he improved on his season best with an 83.08m throw to claim victory. His form, however, dipped at the Paris Diamond League on June 26, finishing sixth with an 80.26m throw.
Chopra (88.16m), Julian Weber of Germany (87.88m) and Da Silva (86.62m) claimed the podium. He later improved his season best on July 5 at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra classic in India, launching an 84.51m throw for silver behind Chopra (86.18m). His most recent meeting was in Brussels, where he placed fifth after launching 80.50m. Germany's Julian Weber (89.65m), Walcott (86.30m) and Peters (85.17m) claimed the podium.
