- Julius Yego satisfied with fourth-place finish at the Kip Keino Classic 2026.
- Yego recorded a best throw of 79.87m at Nyayo Stadium on Friday, April 24, 2026.
- The competition was won by Sri Lanka’s javelin star Rumesh Tharanga, who stunned the crowd with a powerful 89.28m throw.
Kenya’s former world javelin champion Julius Yego narrowly missed the podium at the Kip Keino Classic 2026, but the sensational athlete says he’s satisfied with the outcome.
Yego finished fourth on Friday at Nyayo Stadium with a 79.87m throw in a competition won by Sri Lanka’s javelin star Rumesh Tharanga, who stunned the crowd with a powerful 89.28m heave to snatch gold just after his second above-89m performance within 30 days.
Tharanga set a new meet record, erasing the previous mark of 87.35m set by Belgium’s Timothy Herman in 2023.
Making his Kip Keino Classic debut, Pathirage delivered a strong showing, finishing ahead of Germany’s Thomas Rohler, the 2016 Olympic champion, who managed 83.33m for silver. South Africa’s Douw Smit secured bronze with a season-best 81.19m.
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As for Yego, he was the man who felt no frustration about not performing well at home, calling it a decent result on his side after last season did not go his way, he did not finish due to injury.
“I feel good, first competition of the season having a full run-up. So I think I’m good. I’m happy with the results. Of course, I could have wanted more than what I did today, maybe over 80 meters, but I accept what came out. And yeah, having finished last year with an injury, I think I’m good. I’m really excited,” Yego said after the event.
Yego, 37, believes he hasn’t yet found the rhythm he needs, adding that he’ll make sure to hit his stride before his next contest.
“Maybe my rhythm is not yet there, and javelin is all about the rhythm, you know, in the run-up. I think maybe experience is what worked today. Because my rhythm is still poor, so I need to work on it before my next competition. I think we’re going for the African Championship in Accra, Ghana, so that’s my main focus now,” he added.
Another Kenyan representative, Boniface Kyalo Kilonzo, came eighth with a 66.22m throw.
Kip Keino Classic 2026 Javelin Results
- Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage – Sri Lanka – 89.28m
- Thomas Rohler – Germany – 83.33m
- Douw Smit – South Africa – 81.19m
- Julius Yego – Kenya – 79.87m
- Leandro Ramos – Portugal – 77.33m
- Martin Konecny – Czech Republic – 75.91m
- Manu Quijera – Spain – 74.99m
- Boniface Kyalo Kilonzo – Kenya – 66.22m