Doha Worlds: Avinash Sable qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

Doha, Oct 5 (IANS) India’s Avinash Sable has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in men’s 3000m steeplechase event even though he finished at the 13th spot in the final race at the ongoing World Athletics Championships.The 24-year-old completed the race in 8:21:37 minutes as he breached the Olympics qualifying standard time of 8:22.00.

In the process, he also broke his own national record of 8:25:23 minutes, which he had set two days ago during first round heats in Doha. His previous national record was 8:28.94 set during the Federation Cup earlier this year.Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya, the reigning Olympic champion, won the gold medal with a timing of 8:01.35, while Lamecha Girma (8:01.36) of Ethiopia and Soufiane Bakkali (8:03.76) of Morocco bagged the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Avinash had qualified for the finals in dramatic circumstances after he initially failed to make the cut in the heat races on Tuesday. He had finished 20th overall out of 44 athletes who completed the race.Sable had fallen twice during Tuesday’s race for no fault of his own as the reigning junior world champion Takele Nigate of Ethiopia running in front of him tripped and fell and thus the hopes of Sable making to the finals were dented. However, after the protest lodged by the Athletics Federation of India, Sable was added as the 16th competitor for the final race.

–IANSaak/dpb