Shocker in World Athletics Championships: Sable fails to qualify for final round in 3000m steeplechase

Avinash Sable, India's 3000m steeplechase record holder, failed to qualify for the World Athletics Championships final in Budapest. Despite months of overseas training funded by the Sports Ministry, Sable finished 7th in his heat. He was the lead runner at 2300m, but lost momentum in the last lap. Sable had previously taken silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this year.

National record holder 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable failed to qualify for the final round of the World Athletics Championships after finishing a disappointing seventh in his heat race in a shocking result in Budapest on August 19.

Sable, who trained abroad for many months on Sports Ministry's funding to prepare for this showpiece event and was exempted from competing in domestic events, clocked 8 minute and 22.24 seconds to finish seventh in heat number one.

It was a tactical race and the 28-year-old failed yet again in the biggest stage. He was the lead runner at the 2300m mark but lost momentum later on, especially in the last lap, to clock well below his national record time of 8:11.20.

Only the top five finishers in the three heats make it to the final round.

Sable was expected to at least make it to the finals, if not win a medal. His performance is a huge disappointment for the Indian camp on the opening day of the championships.

This was Sable's third World Championships appearance and for the first time he could not reach the final round.

He had finished 11th in the final in Eugene, USA, last year, unable to deal with a tactical race that was one of the slowest in the history of the showpiece. He was 13th in the 2019 Doha edition.