Parul Chaudhary sets national record in 3000m steeplechase: Key achievements
India's Parul Chaudhary has scripted history with an 11th-place finish in the final of the 3000m steeplechase event of the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, 27 August, in Budapest. She finished her race with a national record-breaking run of 9:15:31. With this, she also earned qualification for the Paris Olympics, set to be held in 2024. Here we decode her key achievements.
Second Indian female athlete to play the final
Steeplechase is a challenging track event that requires overcoming fixed barriers and water jumps. Competing with the best athletes, Parul finished fifth in her 3000m steeplechase heat. With this, she became only the second Indian female athlete to qualify for the final round of a track event at the World Athletics Championships. Parul joined Lalita Babar, also a 3000m steeplechaser, in the elite list.
Parul goes past Babar
In the heats, Parul clocked a personal best of 9:24.29. She improved her timing to 9:15.31 in the final, setting a new national record. Her run at the summit event saw her surpass Lalita Babar, who clocked 9:19.76 at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Parul has also qualified for the Olympics now and the sprinter would be raring to make a mark.
Parul's journey to glory
Parul's journey to the top has been full of hardships as she belongs to a humble background. Born on April 15, 1995, Parul hails from the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. Her father was a farmer from the village of Iklauta near Meerut. Parul's glorious run at the World Athletics Championships has set a new benchmark for Indian athletes in the field of steeplechase.
What did her coach say?
Parul's coach Scott Simmons was mighty impressed with the sprinter as he lauded her hard work in the last couple of years. "She (Parul) has shown consistent progress in the last two years. High-altitude training in Colorado has improved her aerobic strength," Simmons was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Here are Parul's other accomplishments
Parul is certainly one of the best middle-distance runners going around in India. Besides steeplechase, the sprinter also holds the national record in the women's 3000m with a timing of 7:50.31. She achieved it in the Los Angeles athletics meet in 2022. Parul holds the national record in the women's 5000m, having clocked 15:10.35 at the Sound Running On Track Fest 2023 in LA.
