New Delhi: Avinash Sable has successfully qualified for the mens 3000m steeplechase final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing fifth in his heat on Monday. The event took place at the Stade de France, where Sable clocked a time of 8:15.43, securing his place among the top five athletes from his heat.Race Performance and StrategyDuring the race, Sable initially took the lead for the first two and a half minutes. However, he was soon overtaken by Abraham Kiwiot of Kenya and Samuel Firewu of Ethiopia. By the halfway mark, Sable fell to fourth place behind Ryuji Miyura of Japan. Despite a poor water jump that temporarily dropped him to fifth, Sable managed to climb back to third before eventually settling in fifth place.With a comfortable margin from the trailing athletes in the final stretch, Sable was able to slow his pace and ensure his qualification for the final. This will be his first appearance in an Olympic final. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he had finished seventh in his heats and was the fastest non-qualifier.Previous Achievements and QualificationsThe 29-year-old Sable is the current Indian national record holder in the steeplechase. He clocked a time of 8:09.91 at the Paris Diamond League meeting in July. He qualified for Paris 2024 by meeting the direct entry standard of 8:15.00, achieved with a time of 8:11.63 at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland in 2023.Kiran Pahals PerformanceIn other athletics news, Kiran Pahal finished seventh in her heat of the womens 400m event with a time of 52.51 seconds. With only the top three advancing to the semi-final, Pahal will compete in the repechage round on Tuesday. The top finisher in each repechage heat, along with the two fastest overall, will advance to the semi-finals. Pahals personal best in this event is 50.92, achieved at the Indian Championships in June.
