Athletics
Avinash Sable struggles in Silesia Diamond League, finishes 14th
India's Avinash Sable, struggled in the Silesia Diamond League, finishing 14th in 3000m steeplechase.
Steeplechaser Avinash Sable qualified for the final of the men's 3000m steeplechase at the Paris Olympics 2024. (File Photo)
India's top 3000m steeplechaser, Avinash Sable, faced a challenging race at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, finishing a disappointing 14th in a world-class field.
The 29-year-old, who claimed the Asian Games title, clocked a time of 8 minutes 29.96 seconds, far from his best performance as he clocked his worst timing ever since the World Athletics Championships final in 2022.
The race saw 17 runners complete the course, with three unable to finish.
Reigning Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco claimed victory with an impressive time of 8:04.29, closely followed by Kenya's Amos Serem (8:04.29) and Ethiopia's Samuel Firewu (8:04.34).
This result follows Sable's performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he finished 11th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final at the Stade de France on Thursday.
Despite holding the national record of 8:09.91, which he set in the same city last month, Sable struggled to replicate that form and finished the Olympic final with a time of 8:14.18.
El Bakkali once again proved his dominance in the event, defending his Olympic crown which he won with a season-best time of 8:06.05. The USA’s Kenneth Rooks (8:06.41) and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot (8:06.47) earlier completed Olympic the podium.
