Javelin world champ Yego to compete in Finland

Olympic javelin silver medalist Julius Yego of Kenya has confirmed he will compete at the Paavo Nurmi Games, which are part of the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Turku, Finland on June 13.

Yego has not attended any competitive event since he injured his leg at the Rio Olympics back in August 2016.

The Kenyan thrower was heartbroken with the injury, having gone to the games aiming to wipe out his London 2012 Olympics failures where he finished bottom.

He had to settle for silver at the Rio games, a medal won in his first attempt which went into 88.24m. Yego, 26, probably would have thrown further had he not retired from the last two throws with injury.

Now he has another chance this season to prove his critics wrong. The 'You Tube' man wrote history last year at the Beijing World Championships to become the first Kenyan to win gold in a field event at this level of competition.

"It is true I will compete in Finland. I am now working on improving my fitness because the injury has healed well," Yego said.

Organisers of the World Challenge event have confirmed that three global champions will join Olympic champion Thomas Rohler on the javelin runway in Finland.

World champion Yego, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and 2007 world champion Tero Pitkamaki will face Rohler and his German compatriot Johannes Vetter in the Finnish city.

All five men have personal best throws of beyond 89 metres. Rohler won in Turku last year, throwing a world-leading 91.28m to add more than two metres to the meeting record Pitkamaki set in 2015.

The addition of Yego, Walcott and Vetter means the top four finishers from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will gather in Turku. Endit