Who is Avinash Sable? All you need to know about India's 3000m steeplechase athlete for Paris Olympics 2024
Avinash Sable is India’s ace 3000m steeplechase athlete. He recently broke his own national record at the Paris Diamond League after finishing sixth in a time of 8:08.91s. Sable had previously set the national record at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago, clocking a remarkable 8:11.20.
The Indian athlete was born on September 13, 1994, in the Mandwa village in Maharashtra, India. He originally started his career as a cross-country runner before making the decision to switch to steeplechase. Sable also serves his country as a naib subedar in the Indian Army, where he serves in the 5th Battalion of the 9th Maratha Light Infantry.
Sable broke the 37-year-old national record of 8:30.88 held by Gopal Saini by clocking 8:29.80 at the 2018 National Open Championships in Bhubaneswar. Then at the 2019 Federation Cup, he created a new record of 8:28.94.
Sable has won two international medals to date, both silver. His first came at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, his debut international event, with a timing of 8:30.19, and the second in the 2022 Commonwealth Games with a new national record time of 8:11.20.
In the 2020 Delhi Half Marathon, Sable set a new remarkable record by finishing the run in less than 61 minutes.
Avinash Sable trains under coach Amrish Kumar, who has been instrumental in his development as a steeplechase athlete. His training is focused on endurance, speed work, and technique refinement.
Has Avinash Sable qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024?
Avinash Sable has qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 with his sixth-place finish at the Silesia Diamond League. He finished sixth in a time of 8:11.63, breaching the qualification mark of 8:15.00
The Paris Olympics 2024 will mark Sable's second appearance at the Olympic Games. He finished seventh in the heats at the 2020 Tolyo Olympics with a national record and will hope to at least qualify for the finals this year in Paris.