Asian Games 2023: Avinash Sable scorches racetrack to win men's 3000m steeplechase gold

Avinash Sable scorched the racetrack in men’s 3000m steeplechase, winning the event in dominant fashion as India collected their first track and field gold in the 2023 Asian Games on Sunday.

The 29-year-old national record holder thus earned India its first gold medal in athletics at the ongoing Games, completing the race in 8:19.50 seconds. Sable also became the first Indian to win the men’s 3000m event at the Asian Games.

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Sable rewrote the previous Asian Games record of 8:22.79 held in the name of Iran’s Hossein Keyhani set at the 2018 Jakarta Games.

The armyman finished a good four seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, Japan’s Ryoma Aoki who finished with a time of 8:23.75. Aoki’s compatriot Seiya Sunada won bronze with a timing of 8:26.47.

Sable’s wasn’t India’s only gold medal of the day though.

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The trio of Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Sandhu and Prithviraj Tondaiman had earlier helped India win the trap men’s team final with a Games Record score of 361.

India’s Tajinder Pal Singh Toor would also win the men’s shot put final with a best throw of 20.36m.

India would win a remarkable 14 medals on Day 8 of the competition, a majority of which were won by track and field athletes, taking their overall count to 52.

With inputs from PTI