NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 30 – Olympic javelin silver medalist Julius Yego says he will not compete at Saturday’s Nairobi leg of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour, the Kip Keino Classic, citing ill preparation.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdowns enforced by the government to contain the spread of the virus, most sporting facilities were closed from mid-March and yego who has been recovering from injury could not train to his satisfaction.
“I will not take part in the event on Saturday because I feel I have not trained well. I have been training in Eldoret since March but I have not yet trained on track. The stadium has just been opened like two weeks ago,” Yego told Capital Sport.
He adds; “Going into a competition without training will be risky because you can get injured and be out for a longer period of time. The Continental Tour comes a bit too early for me.”
Yego had been training at home when the shutdown of sporting facilities started, but was fortunate to be allowed into the Eldoret Sports Club which accorded him a bigger space to train in, but still wasn’t ideal with lack of a tartan track.
The Kenyan charge will thus be led by budding star Alexander Kiprotich and Duncan Kinyanjui.