Kenyan Javelin icon Julius Yego announces retirement timeline
Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 21.06.26. | 10:53
Now approaching the twilight of his career, Yego remains determined to extend his legacy by qualifying for a fifth Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Javelin throw legend Julius Yego has revealed that he intends to retire from athletics after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable career that has spanned nearly two decades.
Speaking during the Athletics Kenya (AK) national trials for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Yego confirmed that the upcoming edition will be his final appearance at the quadrennial event.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from Thursday, 23 July, to Sunday, 2 August, in Glasgow, while the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be held from 14 to 30 July.
“Of course, it will be my last Commonwealth Games. The next Commonwealth Games will be in 2030, and I think I will be maybe two years into retirement. I am looking forward to retiring after the Los Angeles Olympics if I make it to qualify. I know I will qualify, so LA will be my last championship,” Yego told Mozzart Sport.
The announcement marks the beginning of the final chapter in the career of one of Kenya’s most decorated field athletes, whose achievements transformed perceptions of what Kenyan athletes could accomplish beyond long-distance running.
Yego burst onto the continental stage at the 2010 African Athletics Championships in Nairobi, where local fans witnessed the emergence of a new star. Competing on home soil, he threw a personal best of 74.51 metres, signalling the start of an extraordinary journey.
For much of his early career, Yego’s rise was fueled by determination, self-learning, and relentless training. Nicknamed the “YouTube Man” for learning javelin techniques by watching videos online, he relied largely on muscle memory and dedication to refine his craft.
A major breakthrough came ahead of the 2012 London Olympics when he secured an opportunity to train in Finland under renowned coach Petteri Piironen, who was also working with Egyptian javelin star Ihab Abdelrahman El Sayed at the time.
The move paid immediate dividends. During the 2012 season, Yego set three Kenyan national records and achieved a season-best throw of 81.81m, earning qualification for his maiden Olympic Games.
His defining moment came at the Rio 2016 Olympics. In one of the greatest achievements by a Kenyan field athlete, Yego produced a throw of 88.24m to claim the silver medal. Remarkably, it was his only legal throw in the final before he limped off with an injury.
The Olympic silver medal cemented his place among Kenya’s sporting greats and inspired a new generation of athletes to pursue success in field events.
Now approaching the twilight of his career, Yego remains determined to extend his legacy by qualifying for a fifth Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Should he secure a place at LA 2028, Yego would join marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge as one of the only Kenyan athletes to compete in five Olympic Games.
With one final Commonwealth Games and a potential fifth Olympic appearance still ahead, Yego hopes to close out his career on the biggest stages in world sport before officially calling time on a trailblazing journey.
