EUGENE, Oregon, USA, Jul 22 – Following his dismal performance in the ongoing World Athletics Championships, Javelin star, Julius Yego is putting Oregon behind him and shifting focus on the Commonwealth Games slated for Birmingham.
Yego bowed out at the qualification stage after throwing 79.60m and candidly admitted he has had challenges from his injury experiences in 2019.
He says his Oregon exit was another bad day in the office, or one of those days when things don’t go your way.
“Javelin is always about techniques and that’s something that I am going to focus on as well as speed as we head to Birmingham. I am not always a strong athlete but sometimes when I am fast I do well,” Yego told Capital Sport.
Asked about his injury woes, Yego was at pains to clarify that the muscle pain he’s been experiencing in Oregon is nothing to worry about.
“It’s not an Injury as such, it’s just muscle tightness and nothing serious. I think it was bound to happen, remember when we encountered visa issues, we didn’t have any physios in the team to come with us.”
Yego, nevertheless, reckons that Oregon has been an exciting experience, “and it’s only that Kenyans haven’t clicked’, which he alludes is normal in any sport.
“I am happy that we made it to Oregon. It’s been a difficult period and championship for all Kenyans but we also get disappointed the way everybody else does, you thank God sometimes. I am disappointed not to be in the final but competing is also a great opportunity.”
The team captain for Oregon noted that the Commonwealth Games will be another difficult competition but urged Kenyans to remain focused.
“We have the top athletes in Oregon who have done so well and they are coming there again, so it’s another opportunity for us to see where we can be before the year end and in the run up to Budapest (World Championships).”
-US Visa fiasco-
Meanwhile, Yego is blaming tough US-Visa rules for his team’s poor performance and the ongoing Oregon Championships.
For the umpteenth time, the US has proved an unfavorable hunting ground with elusive medals in events that Kenya has dominated for donkey’s years.
Yego also stated that preparation for Team Kenya went well but singled out visa hitches and fatigue for the team’s current quagmire.
Speaking after finishing 8th in his javelin competition, Yego said; “Preparations were good. I think the only problem we had was visa issues which I am told affected every other team across the world, of course, coming to the United States is not an easy thing.”
“We missed our medical team and that adversely affected athletes in Team Kenya camp. When you come to think about jetlag, one needs to be healthy prior to a race, but then again, we have to thank God we managed to compete in Oregon.”
“I know sometimes we disappoint our fans back home with such performances but we have to thank God that we are still healthy. Sometimes competition doesn’t go your way and we have to accept that this is how other countries feel when we are winning.”
-Alex Isaboke is reporting live from Eugene, Oregon, USA-
