Avinash Sable, India’s national record holder, marked his 30th birthday with a disappointing outing as he finished ninth in the 3000-metre steeplechase event at the ongoing Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium on September 14 (Saturday, as per India time). Sable recorded a time of 8:17.09 at the King Baudouin Stadium, and it stands as his third-best of the season. Notably, the Brussels Diamond League final was Sable’s debut appearance in the prestigious event.
Sable set the national record in the men’s 3000m steeplechase earlier in the year as he recorded 8:09.91 in the Paris leg of the Diamond League series in July.
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Paris Olympics Champion Misses Out On Victory
Paris Olympics 2024 gold medallist and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali narrowly missed out on victory, finishing 1.70 seconds behind Kenya's Amos Serem. El Bakkali, who holds a personal best of 7:56.68, clocked 8:08.60 in the race, 2.55 seconds slower than his Olympic gold-winning time. In the high-stakes event, the 22-year-old Kenyan, Serem, triumphed with a winning time of 8:06.90, defeating the reigning Olympic champion.
Notably, this marked the first time since September 2021 that El Bakkali was defeated in a 3000m steeplechase race.
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Coming to Sable, in contrast to his earlier races this season, he couldn’t take the lead in the 3000m final in Brussels. Instead, he focused on staying with the pack in the 12-man field and could only manage a ninth-place finish.
Here’s how Sable’s 2024 Season Has Been So Far:
- 9th in Diamond League Final, Brussels, September - 8:17.09
- 14th in Silesia Diamond League, August - 8:29.96
- 11th in Paris Olympics final, August - 8:14.18
- 6th in Paris Diamond League, July - 8:09.91 (National Record)
- 1st at Indian Championships, June - 8:31.75
- 2nd at Portland Track Festival, June - 8:21.85
Coming to the Diamond League final in Brussels, Sable’s compatriot and star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra will also feature in the finals for the javelin event on September 15 (Sunday, as per the India time).