Julius Yego takes a throw at the Olympics final. He was injured after the fourth throw
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Aug 21- Julius Yego wiped off the heartbreak of the London 2012 Olympics where he finished bottom to win silver at the Rio games, a medal won in his first attempt which went into 88.24m.
Yego’s win handed Kenya a first Olympic medal in field event after the ‘You Tube’ man wrote history last year at the World Championships as the first Kenyan to win gold in the same event.
Yego probably would have thrown further had he not retired from the last two throws with injury. He sat on a wheelchair in tears, knowing only too well his hopes of a first ever Olympic medal hinged on his opening throw.
He crossed his fingers as with two throws to go, as he was leading the pack of 12 throwers with German Thomas Rohler holding on to second having thrown 87.24m, also in his first throw.
But the 24-year old world leader seemed to have been motivated by the fact Yego, the reigning world champion would not throw again and in the penultimate throw, he went higher, piercing the javelin at 90.30m.
He didn’t need to do anything special in the final throw, which was a no throw anyway as he went on to pick gold.
Reigning Olympic champion Kershon Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago won bronze, throwing 85.38m on his second throw.
Yego will thank his lucky stars which pushed him to a decent first throw, as he went on into foul throws on the third and fourth attempts.
It was a contrast from the qualifying rounds where he failed to throw well in the first two attempts, earning a final ticket with a huge third and final throw.
