Kelvin Kipkogei sets a new African record in Javelin with a throw 56.6m during the 2nd Africa Deaf Athletics Championship 2023 at Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi, on November 30, 2023. [File, Standard]
After stamping his authority as the undisputed Kenyan champion at the national trials recently held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Langata, Nairobi, Kelvin Kipkogei is now out to confirm his position as the African king of Javelin as he targets Deaflympics gold in Tokyo, Japan.
The 27-year-old Deaflympics javelin bronze medallist feels he has done his homework well as he heads for the 25th edition of the Summer Games set for Tokyo on November 15-26.
“I’m targeting a gold medal. I must return home with the glittering medal,” Kipkogei said at Ulinzi Sports Complex after one of his daily training sessions.
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“I want to win a gold medal. This will greatly inspire my people back in Kapsabet,” said Kipkogei, who tried several athletics categories including 100m sprints before finally finding his niche in javelin.
“In Tokyo, I want to hurl 60m and over. I feel that will be safe enough for me to return home with the gold medal,” said Kipkogei, who will also forage for glory in long jump at the Deaflympics Games.
Setting the target to throw at least 60m at the Tokyo Games is fueled by his bronze medal he won in his Deaflympics debut in Caxias do Sul, Brazil in 2022.
In Brazil, the African champion managed to hurl 51.30m as Italy’s Masetti Matteo won gold with a throw of 60.59m.
“I never thought that I could be a javelin thrower: I never thought that I could represent Team Kenya and now that I have this opportunity, my biggest goal and dream is to get a gold medal in this competition,” said Kipkogei.
Among the areas he is currently working on before he departs to Tokyo include strength and conditioning.
“I’m improving this by going to the gym. I’m doing weightlifting to become stronger and better everyday,” Kipkogei said.
Among his game rituals, Kipkogei likes to eat Ugali and take a lot of fruits to hydrate his body before any major contest.
Kipkogei believes a meet up with Julius Yego ‘YouTube’ man will greatly inspire him in the sport where his ultimate dream is to be both Deaflympics and World champion.
“I want to emulate Yego’s success by winning a gold medal in Japan. I have always admired his (Yego) performance. He throws 90m and I would like to perform like him. He inspires my career and I would like to meet him. I believe that if I had an opportunity to train with him, he would be able to share with me some tips to improve. I look up to him,” he added.
After learning javelin through YouTube, Yego went on to shine at various global competitions. He clinched a historic gold medal in the 2015 World Championship in Beijing, China with an impressive throw of 92.72m – becoming the first Kenyan to win a World Championship gold medal in a field event. Yego also won a silver medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.