Julius Yego offers injury update after pulling out of World Championships

Kenyan javelin juggernaut Julius Yego says he can now breathe a sigh of relief after receiving a positive update on the groin injury that put an end to his participation at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Yego, 36, was on Thursday, 18 September, forced to prematurely end his tilt in the men’s javelin final after suffering an apparent groin injury on his right leg, moments after making his second throw of the day.

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The 2015 World Championships gold medalist seemed ready to continue his championships with a third attempt, only to slow down on the runway, tearing up after the realisation that his seventh career World Championships had come to an end.

He ended up finishing sixth, thanks to his second-round mark of 85.54m.

On Tuesday, 23 September, Yego received a positive update on the injury, which was diagnosed as a complete tear of the adductor longus.

“After a few days of anxiety, tension and fearing for the worst, I can now take time for rest, rehab and consistent therapy!” Yego wrote on social media.

“I have had mixed feelings and many thoughts crisscrossing my mind of maybe getting the worst of news: getting under the knife, but I thank God that will not happen now.

‘Complete adductor longus tear’ after the scans and MRI today was the findings. The doctors have advised, as said above, total rest.”

The news comes as a welcome relief for Yego, who, even after his setback, said he still had unfinished business in the sport, opting not to cast his eyes too much towards the future, but on his recovery.

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As per Top Doctors, a tear in the adductor longus (a tendon in the medial thigh) typically occurs during acute muscle contraction, and without surgery, can take between 4 and 16 weeks to heal completely.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, Yego suffered a similar injury, but still went on to claim bronze.

By his admission, the pain then was not comparable to the one in Tokyo, and he expects to be back soon.