Avinash Sable: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}

| birth_place = Mandwa, [[Beed district]], [[Maharashtra]], India

| pb = 8:11.20 '''[[List of Indian records in athletics|NR]]''' (Birmingham, 2022)

| updated = 13 August 2022

'''Avinash Sable''' (born 13 September 1994) is an Indian track and field athlete who specializes in [[3000 metres steeplechase]]. He holds the national record of 8:11.20, set at the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]] where he won the silver medal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Avinash Mukund SABLE {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/avinash-mukund-sable-14778911 |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref> It was the ninth time he had set the national record.<ref name="ninth"/>

Sable was born on 13 September 1994 in Mandwa, [[Beed district]], [[Maharashtra]], into a family of farmers. From age six, he would run or walk the {{cvt|6|km}} distance between home and school as there was no transport facility in his village.<ref name=indexp>{{cite news |last1=Koshie |first1=Nihal |title=Federation Cup: Avinash Sable, a man for all seasons |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/federation-cup-avinash-sable-a-man-for-all-seasons-5632900/ |accessdate=15 September 2019 |work=The Indian Express |date=19 March 2022}}</ref><ref name=scroll/> After completing 12th grade, he joined the [[Mahar Regiment|5 Mahar]] regiment of [[Indian Army]], being posted at the [[Siachen Glacier]] in 2013–2014, deserts of north-western [[Rajasthan]], followed by [[Sikkim]] from 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swaminathan |first1=Swaroop |title=Avinash Sable's long and winding road to worlds |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2019/mar/19/avinash-sables-long-and-winding-road-to-worlds-1952915.html |accessdate=15 September 2019 |work=The New Indian Express |date=19 March 2022}}</ref> He first took part in inter-army [[cross country running]] in 2015 at the insistence of his colleagues, before switching to steeplechase under trainer Amrish Kumar.<ref name=scroll>{{cite news |last1=Siwach |first1=Vinay |title=From Siachen to Worlds, soldier Avinash Sable completes incredible journey with national record |url=https://scroll.in/field/917089/from-siachen-to-worlds-soldier-avinash-sable-completes-incredible-journey-with-national-record |accessdate=15 September 2019 |work=Scroll.in |date=18 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Selvaraj |first1=Jonathan |title=Soldier turned steeplechaser, Avinash Sable targets Olympics after breaking 37-year-old national record |url=https://www.espn.in/athletics/story/_/id/24832197/soldier-turned-steeplechaser-avinash-sable-targets-olympics-breaking-37-year-old-national-record |accessdate=15 September 2019 |work=ESPN.in |date=29 September 2022}}</ref> Sable, who was overweight, managed to lose {{cvt|20|kg}} in three months, before joining the national camp where he was trained by Nikolai Snesarev. In 2018, Sable went back to coach Kumar as Snesarev's training routine did not "suit" him.<ref name=indexp/>

After failing to qualify for the [[2018 Asian Games]] due to an ankle injury, Sable broke the 37-year-old national record of 8:30.88 held by [[Gopal Saini]], by clocking 8:29.80 at the 2018 National Open Championships in [[Bhubaneswar]]. He set a new [[List of Indian records in athletics|national record]] of 8:28.94 in March 2019 at the Federation Cup in [[Patiala]],<ref name=fpost/> as a result of which he qualified for the [[2019 Asian Athletics Championships]] and [[2019 World Athletics Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Halder |first1=Aditya K|title=Meteoric rise of Avinash Sable in Fed Cup |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/avinash-sable-300m-steeplechase-national-record-1481464-2019-03-19 |accessdate=15 September 2019 |work=India Today |date=19 March 2022}}</ref> He became the first male steeplechaser from India to qualify for the World Championships since [[Deena Ram]] ([[1991 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|1991]]).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aga |first1=Oumar |title=Conquered Beed, survived Kargil, Army steeplechaser's Pune gold is 'world championship' practice run |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/conquered-beed-survived-kargil-army-steeplechaser-s-pune-gold-is-world-championship-practice-run/story-58norsCfaloAOVhpyBdOFP.html |accessdate=16 September 2019 |work=Hindustan Times |date=13 September 2022}}</ref>  

Sable won the silver medal at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in [[Doha]], his debut international event, with a timing of [[2019 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|8:30.19]].<ref name=fpost>{{cite news |last1=Rajaraman |first1=G. |title=Asian Athletics Championships: Avinash Sable shows maturity despite trepidation to bag silver on international debut |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-athletics-championships-avinash-sable-shows-maturity-despite-trepidation-to-bag-silver-on-international-debut-6491831.html |accessdate=15 September 2019 |work=Firstpost |date=22 April 2022}}</ref> On 1 October 2019, he again broke his own national record at the World Championships where he ran [[2019 World Athletics Championships – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|8:25.23 in the heats]], despite twice being at the receiving end of [[Takele Nigate]]'s accidental tripping during the race, to finish seventh in the heats and out of contention for the final.<ref>{{cite web |title=3000 Metres Steeplechase Summary |url=https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/iaaf-world-athletics-championships-doha-2019-6033/results/men/3000-metres-steeplechase/heats/summary |publisher=IAAF |accessdate=1 October 2022}}</ref> However, after a successful appeal by the [[Athletics Federation of India]], Sable was included in the final and became the first Indian to qualify for the 3000 metres steeplechase final at the World Championships.<ref>{{cite news |title=IAAF World Championships: Avinash Sable included in Steeplechase final after India's successful appeal |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/athletics/story/iaaf-world-championships-avinash-sable-qualifies-mens-3000m-steeplechase-final-after-india-appeal-1605315-2019-10-01 |accessdate=1 October 2019 |work=India Today |date=1 October 2022}}</ref> He further improved the national record to 8:21.37 in the final, finishing 13th out of 16 runners,<ref>{{cite web |title=3000 Metres Steeplechase Result |url=https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/iaaf-world-athletics-championships-doha-2019-6033/results/men/3000-metres-steeplechase/final/result |publisher=IAAF |accessdate=4 October 2022}}</ref> and qualified for the [[2020 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 5, 2019|title=Really happy after qualifying for Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Avinash Sable after World Championship heroics|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/athletics/story/worked-hard-avinash-sable-3000m-steeplechase-tokyo-2020-olympics-doha-1606552-2019-10-05|access-date=2021-07-26|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=India's Avinash Sable qualifies for Tokyo Olympics after smashing 3000m steeplechase national record for second time |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/athletics/indias-avinash-sable-qualifies-for-tokyo-olympics-after-smashing-3000m-steeplechase-national-record-for-second-time/article29599810.ece |accessdate=5 October 2019 |work=The Hindu |date=5 October 2022}}</ref>

Sable set a new national record at the 2020 [[Delhi Half Marathon]], completing the run in less than 61 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 29, 2020|title=Olympic-bound Avinash Sable sets new national record in Delhi half-marathon|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/athletics/story/tokyo-olympics-bound-1745129-2020-11-29|access-date=2021-07-26|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-11-29|title=Airtel Delhi Half Marathon {{!}} Ethiopians Walelegn, Yehualaw win elite races with record times|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/athletics/airtel-delhi-half-marathon-ethiopians-walelegn-yehualaw-win-elite-races-with-record-times/article33204469.ece|access-date=2021-02-21|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

At the [[Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|2020 Summer Olympics]], Sable placed seventh in the heats, setting a new national record to 8:18.12. He was the fastest non-qualifier across all heats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Athletics |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7132391?eventId=10229614&gender=M |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=www.worldathletics.org}}</ref> In 2022, Sable set 2 further national records, first at the Indian Grand Prix (8:16.21), and then at the [[Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat|Meeting International Mohamed VI]] in Rabat (8:12.48), placing 5th (his highest [[Diamond League]] finish to date).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Avinash Mukund SABLE {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/avinash-mukund-sable-14778911 |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Indian Grand Prix - 2 « Athletics Federation of India |url=https://indianathletics.in/afi_result/indian-grand-prix-2/}}</ref>

Sable won the silver medal at the [[Athletics at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|2022 Commonwealth Games]] with a new national record time of 8:11.20.<ref name="ninth">{{cite news |title=Sable ends Kenyan steeplechase hegemony at CWG, wins silver medal |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/commonwealth-games/sable-ends-kenyan-steeplechase-hegemony-at-cwg-wins-silver-medal-8075008/ |access-date=7 August 2022 |work=The Indian Express |date=6 August 2022 |language=en}}</ref> It was also the first time an athlete from outside Kenya had won a medal in men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games since [[Athletics at the 1994 Commonwealth Games – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|1994]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Commonwealth Games 2022 athletics: India's Avinash Sable denies Kenya a steeplechase podium clean sweep for first time since 1994 |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/commonwealth-games-2022-athletics-india-avinash-sable-3000m-steeplechase-result |access-date=7 August 2022 |work=Olympics.com}}</ref>

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[[Category:Olympic athletes of India]]