Indian runner Avinash Sable, who is all set to compete at his second Olympic Games in Paris in a few weeks, broke the national record in the men’s 3000m steeplechase event at the Diamond League 2024 on Sunday. The Asian Games champion crossed the finish line in 8:09.91, bettering his national record by more than a second. He finished sixth in the stacked men’s 3000m steeplechase field at the Charlety Stadium.
India’s previous national record was 8:11.20, clocked by Avinash Sable to win silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago. Ethiopia’s Abrham Sime came first with a personal best of 8:02.36. Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Amos Serem of Kenya also clocked 8:02.36 but came second in the photo finish.
World championships 2023 bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya was third in 8:06.70 and was followed by Tunisian national record holder Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui (8:09.41) and 1500m indoor world champion Geordie Beamish (8:09.64) of New Zealand.
A total of 17 runners started the 3000m steeplechase race in Paris on Sunday. This was Avinash Sable’s third 3000m steeplechase competition of the year.
The Indian athlete began his season with a second-place finish at the Portland Track Festival in Orlando, USA where he clocked 8:21.85. He won India’s inter-state competition in Panchkula last month in 8:31.75. Sable is set to represent India at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the same discipline.
India’s Kishore Jena, also Olympics-bound, finished eighth in the 10-man javelin throw field with a best effort of 78.10m on his first attempt. Jena logged 78.05m on his second attempt but could not register valid throws on his next two tries. His fifth attempt landed at a distance of 76.57m. Only the top three got the chance to attempt the sixth throw.
This was the second Diamond League event for Kishore Jena this year.
Jena, who registered his personal best of 87.54m to win silver at the Asian Games last year, finished ninth in Doha after recording a 76.31m throw.
Germany’s Julian Weber, the European Games champion, came first with an effort of 85.91m. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada came second with 85.19m and was followed by Czechia’s Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch, who managed 85.04m.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, a world championships silver medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, was fourth with a distance of 84.21m. It was Nadeem’s first competition of the year.
Earlier this year, Jena finished fifth at the Federation Cup in India with 75.49m and landed his season-best of 80.84m to finish third at the Inter-state championships in Panchkula last month.
Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra did not compete at the Paris Diamond League. The Diamond League is an annual series of top-tier track and field competitions organised by World Athletics. The meeting in Paris was the eighth leg of the Diamond League 2024 series.
Athletes accumulate points based on their performances in each Diamond League leg and the top athletes in each event qualify for the finals. The winner in each event at the finals secures a Diamond League trophy. This year’s finals will be held in Brussels, Belgium in September.
