Paris Olympics 2024: Avinash Sable creates record, becomes first Indian to qualify for final in steeplechase

Avinash Mukund Sable became the first Indian to qualify for the 3000m steeplechase final at the Olympics when he finished fifth in his heat at the ongoing Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Monday.

Sable clocked 8:15.43 in the second heat to finish fifth and make the cut to the final. The top five athletes in each heat will qualify for the final.

Mohamed Tindouft of Morocco won Sable’s heat clocking 8:10.62 with Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu finishing second with a time of 8:11.61. Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya, Ryuji Miura of Japan and Sable finished third, fourth and fifth respectively to qualify for the final.

Sable clocked 8:15.43 after leading for almost 75% of the heat. He started well, took an early lead and tried to stabilise his lead in the end but was overtaken by the other athletes. He led in the first two laps but slowed down to preserve his energy for the final but to stay in the qualification race.

He made sure he was one of the athletes in the lead pack and in the end finished fifth.

His timing of 8:15.43 is way below his best timing of 7:09.91 which he clocked at the Paris Diamond League in July. In the process, he had also broken the national record, which was incidentally set by him.

Meanwhile, India’s Kiran Pahal couldn’t automatically qualify for the semifinals in the women’s 400m event after she finished seventh in her heat, clocking 52.51s. She will compete in the repechage round.

World champion Marileidy Paulino of Dominica won the heat clocking 49.42s while USA’s Aaliyah Butler and Susanne Gogl-Walli of Austria came second and third.

The top three in each heat advanced to the semifinals. All the other athletes, who managed to complete the race will compete in the repechage heats and will get another shot at making the semifinals.

Pahal’s best time is 50.92s.