Avinash Sable made his Diamond League final debut in Brussels, finishing ninth in the 3000m steeplechase at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Sable, India’s national record holder, clocked a time of 8:17.09 in a field of ten runners.
Kenya’s Amos Serem took the title with a time of 8:06.90, defeating Paris Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who finished 1.70 seconds behind in second place.
Sable, who celebrated his 30th birthday on the same day, had a tough race, trailing at the back of the pack from the start and never getting into a position to challenge for the top spots.
Despite finishing 14th in the overall Diamond League standings, Sable secured a place in the final after four higher-ranked athletes withdrew. His 2023 season included three points from two Diamond League meetings.
For Amos Serem, the victory was a redemption after his failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics final due to an error in the water jump during the heats. Sable, who also competed in the Paris Olympics, had finished 11th in the steeplechase final with a time of 8:14.18.
Attention now shifts to India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra, who will compete in the javelin throw final on the second day of the event. Chopra, with 14 points in the standings, will face stiff competition from Anderson Peters of Grenada, the points leader, and Julian Weber of Germany, among others.
