Avinash Sable Eyes Medal in Men’s 3000m Steeplechase at Paris 2024

It’s a big moment for Indian athlete Avinash Sable as he gets ready to take part in the men’s 3000m steeplechase at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. The event will kick off at the famous Stade de France this Monday, and all eyes will be on Sable as he aims for a spot in the finals.

The steeplechase will unfold in two phases, starting with round 1, which has 36 athletes divided into three heats. Only the top five runners from each heat will move on to compete for the medals.

Sable, who is currently ranked 15th in the world, finds himself in a competitive heat 2 along with Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot, who is ranked 3rd globally and has quite the impressive resume, including a Commonwealth Games gold and a world championship bronze.

In addition to Kibiwot, Sable will also face tough competition from Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu, ranked 4th, and Japan’s Ryuji Miura, both of whom are prominent names in this sport.

Reflecting on his previous Olympic experience in Tokyo 2020, Sable narrowly missed the finals. However, this time around, he feels prepared and optimistic after recently achieving a personal best time of 8:09.91, which also set a new national record during the Paris Diamond League last month.

In heat 2, only Kibiwot and Firewu have better personal bests than Sable at 8:06.70 and 8:05.78, respectively, while Miura has the same time as Sable, adding an extra layer of competition.

Besides his Olympic endeavors, Sable made history by winning a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and became the Asian Games champion in Hangzhou last year, further mounting expectations for his performance in Paris.

As for the top competitors, reigning Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali from Morocco is in heat 1 and aims to make history by defending his title. But he also faces serious competition from Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, who is in heat 3 and recently shattered a world record in the steeplechase.

For fans in India, Sable’s race will be broadcast live on Sports 18, and the competition can also be streamed on the JioCinema app and website. It’s going to be an exciting affair as everyone anticipates what will unfold in the Olympic arena.