Kenyan Yego crowned javelin king after monster throw

Yet the incredible joy of Yego creating athletics history proved to be a timely antidote to the depressing news that two of his Kenyan teammates had become the first competitors to fail drugs tests in Beijing.

Zakary bettered the 400m national record with 50.71 in Monday’s’s heats. But the 29-year-old did not start Tuesday’s semi-final.

Reports in Kenya have suggested both tested positive for a masking agent for an unknown substance.

The pair were target-tested at their hotel by the IAAF, which came under fire in the build-up to the championships amid accusations it has not done enough to combat doping. “Follow-up action will be taken in Kenya”.

The sport’s credibility has taken a battering following damaging allegations, fiercely denied by the IAAF, that the world governing body turned a blind eye to suspicious blood test results from hundreds of athletes.

And just this week, German broadcaster ARD claimed some Kenyan athletes were warned before the unannounced doping tests and alleged a banned runner accused athletics officials of demanding money to hide positive tests. “Never mind”, he laughed, “It only lasted a few years!”

Kenya’s Julius Yego, who refined his javelin technique watching YouTube videos, says his World Championship gold medal was “really unbelievable”.

His winning distance of 92.72 meters set an African record and was the longest throw in 14 years.

Bolt clocked 19.95 seconds – over half a second outside the world record he set in the same stadium in winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

But a year later, he did win his first major title when he threw 83.87m to win the Commonwealth gold in Glasgow – the first Kenyan to win a field event at the Games.

Manunga ran in the opening heats of the 400 hurdles on Sunday and finished sixth of seven, failing to reach the semifinals.

Olympic finalist Alysia Johnson Montano was in the leading bunch when she tripped and tumbled to the track with 200 meters to go, ending her chances of advancing in the 800 at the world championships.

In other finals contested Wednesday, South Africa’s Wayne van Niekerk won a blistering 400m in 43.48 seconds – the fourth best of all time.