Javelin superstar Julius Yego has bowed out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Yego, who was gunning for gold exited the Games after he failed to qualify for the finals earlier on Wednesday, August 4.
The 32-year-old needed to hit the 83.50 qualifying mark to make it through to the final round.
However, the Kenyan track and field athlete could only manage a through of 77.34 to finish 11th in Group B of the qualifiers.
Having won silver during the 2016 Rio Olympics, Yego was hoping to cart home the gold medal, with his disappointing showing in Tokyo seeing him finish 24th overall even as he set a season’s personal best.
In 2014, Yego, who is the African record and Commonwealth record holder for the event became the first Kenyan to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in a field event.
He followed up that with a gold medal during the 2015 World Championships with a throw of 92.72m.
His exit further compounds Kenya’s dismal performance in the Tokyo Games, with the country managing just two medals thus far.
Meanwhile, Yego’s frustrating showing came only weeks after he resigned as Team Kenya Olympics captain.
This came after he had fallen out with Athletics Kenya management over lack of a professional coach to prepare him for the Tokyo Olympics.
Yego lamented he had been forced to train by himself as he plotted for the gold medal during the postponed Summer Games.
Eunice Sum, who was his deputy at the time subsequently took over in an acting capacity
Kigen wins Kenya’s first medal
Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported Kenya has finally won her first medal in the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympics after Benjamin Kigen scooping a bronze medal on Monday, August 2.
Kigen won the medal after he clocked 8.11.45 to finish third in the final of men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Kenya lined up two athletes in the event, with Kigen being joined by compatriot Abraham Kibiwott, both of whom made it to the final of the competition.
While the country has previously dominated in the race, it was a whole different story in Tokyo as Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali triumphed to win gold.
