It was only last week that India’s 3000m steeplechase national record holder, and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Avinash Sable had qualified for the Eugene Diamond League final, but now he has opted out of the competition. The latter wants to focus on the upcoming Asian Games, which are due to start on September 23. With this, he becomes the third athlete after Murali Sreeshankar and Praveen Chitravel, to give the Diamond League Finals a miss.
The same was confirmed on social media by Inspire Institute of Sports, where Sable trains alongside Murali Sreeshankar and Neeraj Chopra. ” Three #TeamIIS athletes Avinash Sable, Murali Sreeshankar, and Praveen Chithravel have pulled out of the Diamond League final in Eugene, to focus on their preparations for the Asian Games.”
Also Read: Murali Sreeshankar pulls out of Diamond League final to focus on Asian Games
Sable’s performance in 2023
During the Xiamen Diamond League, Avinash Sable had finished fifth with a timing of 8.16:27s. This would also have been his maiden appearance at the prestigious tournament, which Chopra had won last year. Meanwhile, he has a personal best of 8.11:20s which was set at Birmingham CWG last year. This year too, he has come up with some decent performances and is one of the best athletes in Asia.
Only Japan’s Ryuji Miura has clocked a better time than him in steeplechase this year and could stop Sable from winning a gold medal at the Asian Games 2023. Having said that, the Indian is a quality runner and has the skill to go for the kill when it matters the most.
Now that, Avinash Sable, Chitravel and Sreeshankar have already pulled out of the finals, Chopra is only Indian in contention of a medal. He will defend his title on September 17.
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