Avinash Sable made history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian man to win a gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase event at the Asian Games. With a time of 8:19.50 seconds, Sable broke the previous Asian Games record of 8:22.79 set by Iran’s Hossein Keyhani in 2018. This victory also marks India’s first gold medal in athletics at the ongoing Games. In 2010, Sudha Singh had won a gold medal in the women’s 3000m steeplechase event.
Meanwhile, Indian heptathlete Swapna Barman, who was the defending champion, struggled with injuries during the Asian Games. In the javelin throw event, Barman achieved a throw of just 45.13, far below her personal best of 52.55m. This disappointment led to her virtually going out of medal contention in the competition. Javelin throw was one of the two events that Barman had won in 2018, when she became the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold.
Overall, Barman was ranked fourth with 4840 points, trailing her nearest rival Jingyi Liu of China by 11 points before the final 800m race. Nandini Agasara, another Indian athlete in the competition, achieved a personal best of 39.88m in the javelin throw, elevating her overall ranking to fifth place.
Earlier in the day, Barman leapt 5.71m in the long jump event, while Agasara recorded a season-best 5.94m jump. Barman’s career has been impacted by a spinal injury, and she had contemplated retirement last year. However, determined to defend her title, she persevered and competed despite her physical struggles.
On a positive note, Amlan Borgohain of India finished in third place with a time of 21.08 seconds in the men’s 200m heats, securing a spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Jyothi Yarraji fell short of qualifying for the women’s 200m final with a timing of 23.78s. However, she remains in contention for a medal in the women’s 100m hurdles event.
(This article has been generated automatically from a syndicated feed. Topic mentioned: Asian Games.)