Deaflympics champion Kahinga eyes triple glory in Tokyo

Deaflympics men's 1500m champion Ian Wambui Kahinga will be out for a triple glory at the 25th Summer Deaflympics slated for Tokyo, Japan on November 15-26, 2025.

This is after he cruised to the tape to win the men's 10,000m at the national trials that concluded at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on Friday.

Kahinga breezed to the tape in 30:46.5 for victory, beating Deaflympics bronze medalist David Kipkogei (30:47.9) to third and silver medalist Peter Wareng Toroitich (31:51.1) to sixth as newcomer Peter Rutto (30:47.5) settled for second place in the star-studded encounter.

"I feel great after the victory. It was good running in this high altitude and winning the race. It was a great competition that has now inspired me to go for many medals in Tokyo," Kahinga told Standard Sports.

"I won gold in 1500m in Brazil three years ago and silver in 5000m, now I'll be aiming for another medal bracket in the 10,000m.

"And yes, I want all three gold medals in my cabinet, so I'm going to train hard and leave nothing to chance before I head to Tokyo," Kahinga said.

The 24-year-old said he trained for three years in his remote Nyahururu village to prepare for the two-day national trials held at Ulinzi and the forthcoming Tokyo championship.

"So far, I feel I have done my homework well and is ready for Japan. I'm confident my dream to win the three gold medals will be realised," he said.

Some of the tactics that Kahinga perfected on the rugged terrains of Nyahururu include speed and endurance.

"I trained with some of my hearing friends who challenged me to be better in the sport. I also did some marathons and cross country running to up my game. The good tips I got from my coach have been valuable in these trials," he said.

Ahead of Tokyo, Kahinga feels he still needs to continue sharpening his speed work and endurance tactics as he hopes to gel with his teammates at the camp.

"Unity and teamwork will be very crucial in Japan, so I'm really going to work on this chemistry with my colleagues once we start residential camp," he said.

On a typical week, Kahinga does 20km long run on Monday, speed work on Tuesday, he repeats the long runs on Wednesday which he combines with physio sessions.
Friday and Saturday are other days for long runs while Sunday is reserved for rest.

Kahinga's ultimate dream in athletics is to be a perfect model in all the three categories he is looking forward to dominating as his career takes an upward trajectory.

"I want to be as perfect as Eliud Kipchoge, who is my role model. I love the way he dominated the marathon, apart from using the race to change lives across the globe," Kahiga said.