Julius Yego Reveals Key Factor Delaying His Retirement

Julius Yego has detailed the major factor that is stopping him from retiring after gracing the global stage for more than 10 years.

The 2015 world champion first competed at the World Championships in 2013, where he finished fourth in the final.

Julius Yego then went ahead to set an African record at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where he cleared 92.72m. However, he faced a major injury setback in 2017, finishing a distant 13th at the 2019 edition of the event in London.

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Julius Yego’s woes continued as he recorded No Mark at the 2019 World Championships. No Mark signifies that no valid trial was recorded in a field event, and it mostly happens when an athlete fails to register a valid distance or height in their attempts.

At the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, Julius Yego failed to make a mark as he did not make the final. He has since qualified for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and he wants to give himself two more years before thinking about retirement.

The former Olympic silver medallist pointed out that field events are slowly taking shape in the country, but expressed worry about the male athletes.

Winny Bii and Irene Jepkemboi, who hold national records in triple jump and javelin, respectively, are making the headlines in the field events on the women’s side.

Julius Yego revealed that he has been the only one representing in field events at the World Championships for a very long time, and added that if young athletes like him continued to emerge, it would be a sign that the future looks promising.

Julius Yego added that it will take time before another star emerges, as he insisted that his career did not get off to a flying start.

“I don't want to exit when there's nobody who can take it. It doesn't have to be javelin alone. We have other field events where we have very good talents,” Julius Yego told Sports Eye.

“Of course, I would love to see another male athlete be as strong as I have been at the international level. I'm very sure the ladies are in safe sight. So, for the men, hopefully, the young ones can pick up from where they are now.

“Javelin is a process…it is not a one-day training, and then you hit it well. So, it takes time. Even I took time. Hopefully, in the next few years, 2 years, we will get another athlete who can do over 80m.”

Julius Yego’s decision to continue competing is not just about personal ambition, but about ensuring the next generation of male field athletes is ready to carry the torch when he finally steps away.