India’s leading 3000m steeplechaser, Avinash Sable, encountered a disappointing outcome at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, finishing in 14th place. The 29-year-old reigning Asian Games champion, who had set a new national record in the Paris Diamond League last month, clocked a time of 8 minutes 29.96 seconds in Silesia, placing him near the bottom of the field.
Seventeen athletes completed the race, while three did not finish. The race was won by reigning Olympic and world champion El Bakkali Soufiane of Morocco, who clocked 8:04.29. Kenya’s Amos Serem and Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu finished second and third respectively, both with times of 8:04.29 and 8:04.34.
It’s noteworthy that all six athletes who finished in the top six in the Paris Olympics earlier this year were present in this competition. Sable’s performance in Silesia marks a significant drop from his impressive showing in Paris, where he finished sixth with a time of 8:09.91, smashing his own national record. He had become the first Indian male athlete to qualify for the Olympics 3000m steeplechase finals during the Paris Games, finishing 11th with a time of 8:14.18.
This disappointing result in the Silesia Diamond League will likely come as a setback for Sable, who was aiming to continue his strong performance on the international stage. It remains to be seen how this outcome will impact his future plans and preparations for upcoming competitions.
