National record holder 3000 meter steeplechase runner Avinash Sable will challenge in the Diamond League Final in Brussels. He is the second Indian to make it to the tournament along with star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. 29-year-old Sable has made it to the 12-player Diamond League Final for the first time. His event will be held on September 13 where all 12 participants will directly participate in the final race.
Diamond League final will be held on September 13
Avinash Sable has participated in two Diamond League events this season and was ranked 14th in the standings with three points. He made it to the finals after four higher ranked players withdrew from the tournament. The two-day Diamond League Finals will be held on 13 and 14 September. The men’s 3000 meter steeplechase is scheduled for September 13 while the men’s javelin throw tournament will be held the next day.
Sable was ranked 11th in Paris Olympics 2024
Men’s 3000m steeplechase event was included in five of the 14 Diamond League events this season. Sable finished sixth in the Paris leg of the Diamond League on July 7, improving his own national record with a time of 8:09.91 minutes. He was 14th (8:29.96 minutes) in the Silesia leg on August 25. Sable became the first Indian to enter the Olympic final in men’s 3000m steeplechase but he could not impress with his performance. At the Paris Olympics, he finished a disappointing 11th with a time of 8:14.18 minutes.
Two-time Olympic medallist Chopra qualified for the Diamond League Final after finishing fourth. Chopra earned 14 points by finishing second in each of the one-day events held in Doha and Lausanne. The champion of each Diamond League season final is awarded the coveted ‘Diamond Trophy’, prize money of $30,000 and a wild card to the World Athletics Championships. The runner-up will get $12,000 and similarly the eighth-place finisher will get US$1000.
(Input: PTI)
