Indian athlete Avinash Sable has made a significant mark at the Paris Olympics by qualifying for the final of the men’s 3000m steeplechase. Sable, who competed in Heat 2, finished fifth with a time of 8:15.43 seconds at the Stade de France.
Sable’s performance was notable despite a minor stumble over one of the hurdles, which caused him to slip back momentarily. However, his strong finish ensured his place in the final set for Thursday. The top finishers in his heat included Morocco’s Mohamed Tindouft (8:10.62s), Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu (8:11.61s), Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot (8:12.02s), and Japan’s Ryuji Miura (8:12.41s).
In Heat 1, Morocco’s Soufiyane El Bakkali led with a time of 8:17.90 seconds. The remaining qualifiers for the final were Uganda’s Leonard Chemutai (8:18.19s), Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale (8:18.25s), Spain’s Daniel Arce (8:18.31s), and Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaziri (8:18.33s).
The national trials winner, Kenya’s Amos Serem, could not advance to the final due to a mishap with the water jump, which caused him to finish sixth.
In other events, Indian athlete Kiran Pahal competed in the women’s 400m and finished seventh in Heat 5 with a time of 52.51 seconds. Despite not advancing to the semifinals, Pahal will have another chance in the repechage round.
Indian long jumper Jeswin Aldrin did not make it past the qualification round. His best jump of 7.61 meters in Group B was insufficient to meet the qualification standard of 8.15 meters, ending his campaign with a 26th place finish overall.
The ongoing Olympics continue to showcase intense competition, with Indian athletes striving for their best performances on the global stage.
