Javelin thrower Yego targets top form to conquer Africa

Olympic javelin champion Julius Yego of Kenya believes he can regain his top form and go on to reclaim the gold medal at the Africa Athletics Championships in Assaba, Nigeria in August.

Yego will skip the third leg of the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon in the United States on May 26 to focus on improving his skills, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 28-year-old finished eighth at the Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar last week to see his losing streak jump to three this year.

However, he took positives from the competition as he posted his season's best and for the first time hit the mark of 80 meters in the last nine months.

"What an interesting season it promises to be in javelin," said Yego on Monday in Eldoret. "Despite the challenges, I still look forward to more improvement in the next competition."

The Africa championships in Nigeria will be the epic of the season's competitions for the Kenyan as he eyes to secure the gold and selection to the continent's team to the World Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in August.

"I am happy with the slow progress. I have started the season early and as you see, I have jumped to the 80m mark. Though the competition is at 90m, I feel I will get there soon," he added.

Yego lost out to Germany's Thomas Rohler (91.78), Johannes Vetter and Andreas Hofmann (90.08) while Commonwealth Games champion Neeraj Chopra of India was fourth.

All the four will be in Eugene for another round of competition, but Yego hopes his miss will help him reflect and improve on his performance as the season gains momentum.

"Mistakes make those who believe in winning like me stronger. Sorry for everyone who believed and counted on me to deliver. I may have disappointed you, but I'm disappointed with not having made it to the podium," he added.

--IANS

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