Indian steeplechase national record holder Avinash Sable celebrated his 30th birthday in Brussels on Friday, but the celebration was dampened by a below-par performance in his debut Diamond League final. Sable finished ninth in the race, clocking 8 minutes and 17.09 seconds, falling short of his national record of 8:09.91 set in the Paris leg of the Diamond League series in July.
The race saw Kenya’s Amos Serem take home the championship title with a winning time of 8:06.90. Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world champion, came in second at 8:08.60, while Tunisia’s Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui secured third place with a time of 8:09.68.
Sable’s qualification for the Diamond League final was an unexpected one. He finished 14th in the overall standings with only three points from two meetings. However, due to withdrawals by Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, Japan’s Ryuji Mura, and the USA’s Hillary Bor, Sable secured a spot in the top 10 cut-off.
Throughout the season, Sable has exhibited mixed results. He achieved a personal best and a national record of 8:09.91 in the Paris leg in July, finishing sixth. However, he finished 14th in the Silesia leg in August with a time of 8:29.96. He also finished 11th in the 3000m steeplechase at the Paris Olympics with a time of 8:14.18.
Meanwhile, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the world champion and silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, is set to compete in the Diamond League final on Saturday.
