Who is India's steeplechaser and long-distance runner Avinash Sable?
India's Avinash Sable won the silver medal in the men's 5000m at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China. Sable occupied the second spot with a timing of 13:21.09, having finished behind Bahrain's Birhanu Yemataw (13:17.40). The Indian athlete claimed his second medal at the ongoing Games. He earlier claimed a 3000m steeplechase gold. Here we decode his journey.
Sable prevails in 5000m
Sable won silver in 5000m with an effort of 13:21.09. While Yemataw Balew recorded 13:17:40 to win gold, his compatriot Dawit Fikadu Admasu bagged the bronze medal (13:25:63). Meanwhile, Gulveer Singh, the other Indian in the race, finished fourth with a personal best timing of 13:29.93. Sable was fourth around the five-minute mark before accelerating to second in the final lap.
India's first Asian Games gold medal 3000m steeplechase
Earlier, Sable won India's first gold medal in men's 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Games. The Indian steeplechaser was brilliant as he broke the Games record with a timing of 8:19:50s. Sable went all out in the final of the men's 3000m steeplechase event as he built a massive difference between him and the other competitors.
Who is Avinash Sable?
Sable was born on September 13, 1994, in the Mandwa village in Maharashtra's Beed district, India. Since both his parents were farmers, he had to toil hard during his childhood. He had to run 6km each day to reach his school as there was no public transportation available at that time. Before venturing into sports, Sable dreamed of joining the Indian Army.
Here's how Sable transformed into an athlete
The Indian Army recruited Sable (5 Mahar regiment). He got posted in Siachen, Rajasthan, and Sikkim. Sable survived the chilly conditions of Siachen and the scorching heat of Rajasthan deserts. In 2015, he joined the army's athletics program and participated in the cross-country competitions. After training for a year, Sable played a part in Services' win in the team competition.
The journey to steeplechase category
Sable, who was 24, shredded his body weight, which allowed him to run efficiently. In 2017, army coach Amrish Kumar urged the former to get into the steeplechase category, a race involving obstacles. The move paid dividends as Sable finished fifth at the 2017 Federation Cup. Later that year, Sable fell nine seconds short of breaking the steeplechase national record at the Open Nationals.
First Indian male steeplechaser with this feat
It is worth noting that Sable couldn't qualify for the 2018 Asian Games due to an ankle injury. However, he broke Gopal Saini's 37-year-old national record of 8:30.88 by recording 8:29.80 at the National Open Championships in Bhubaneswar. In 2019, Sable became the first Indian male steeplechaser to reach the World Championships since Deena Ram (1991). The former won silver at the event (8:30.19).
Sable shone at 2022 CWG and 2020 Olympics
Sable won a historic silver medal in 3000m steeplechase at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG). He was just 0.05s slower than Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot, who clinched the gold medal. Notably, this was India's first-ever steeplechase medal at the Commonwealth Games. Earlier, Sable became the first Indian to qualify for the Olympics in 3000m steeplechase in 68 years. He was the fastest non-qualifier across heats.
