India’s 3000m steeplechase runner Avinash Sable's preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics is off to a flier of a start as the 29-year-old shattered the National Record that he set in the 2021 Commonwealth games (8:11.20) by clocking 8:09.91 to finish sixth at the prestigious Paris Diamond League.
Ethiopia's Abrham Sime narrowly nudged ahead to claim first place ahead of Kenya's Amos Serem and Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot in third place.
Sable previously became the first Indian to qualify in the steeplechase event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 since Gulzara Singh Mann in 1952 and bettered the national record at the games but did not manage to qualify for the finals at his first attempt. His preparations and confidence seem to be on track with the Games scheduled to begin on 26 July.
India’s medal hopeful from the Javelin contingent Kishore Kumar Sena also took part in tonight’s action and finished eight with a best throw of 78.10m.
Records were broken all around the Diamond League on Sunday as two new world records were created. Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new world record in the women’s high jump with a new best of 2.10 meters edging out the previous record set by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova (Rome Olympics 1987) by 1 cm and Faith Kipyegon finished first in the women’s 1500m with a time of 3:49.04 breaking her own world record of 3:49.11.
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