Avinash Sable, India’s national record holder in the 3000m steeplechase, is set to kick off his season at the prestigious Diamond League opener in Xiamen, China, on April 26. The event will see a stellar lineup, headlined by Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world champion.
Also competing is Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot, the Paris Olympics and World Championships bronze medallist, who edged past Sable to win gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Avinash Sable returns to competition for the first time since last September’s Diamond League Final, where he clocked 8:17.09 to finish ninth.
Avinash Sable, who holds the national record of 8:09.91 in the 3000m steeplechase, clocked 8:14.18 to finish 11th at the Paris 2024 Olympics. That timing has earned him a spot at the World Championships in Tokyo this September.
In the last season, 2022 World Championships finalist Sable began his campaign at the Portland Track Festival 2024 Athletics Meet in the USA, where he finished second in the 5000m with a time of 13:20.37. After that, he competed at the Inter-State Athletics Championships, which was the final qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympics, and secured first place in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:31.75.
He then bettered his own national record in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:09.91 at the Paris Diamond League, improving his previous personal best (8:11.20) by more than a second.
However, Sable will not be competing at the Federation Cup 2025 in Kochi from April 21 to 24 – the final selection trial for the Asian Championships in Korea next month.
As per the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), participation in the Federation Cup is compulsory for Asian Championships selection, unless an athlete has official approval to train or compete overseas.