Avinash Sable
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YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS
As in 2021 June
Tushar Dutt, July 17, 2021: The Times of India
There has never been a dearth of hurdles – literally and metaphorically – in Avinash Sable’s life.
Right from walking 12kms a day from home to school and back, to clearing over 200 hurdles at the track every day, the steeplechaser has never seen things served on a platter. Clearing the hurdles has now become a way of life for the Beed athlete, who has reduced over 12 seconds in his run time over the last two years.
With backbreaking training at the Sports Authority of India’s Bangalore centre, Sable doesn’t just want to be first male Indian steeplechaser to participate at the Olympics since Gulzara Singh Mann’s participation in the 1952 Games. He wants to make his mark.
“Participating in the event and inspiring the next generation is good, but I don’t want to come back as ‘also ran’ from Tokyo. I am working hard to achieve my goals and I am certain of making my presence felt at the Games,” the Armyman, who is part of the Army Sports Institute, Pune, told TOI.
His coach Amrish Kumar says the postponement of the Games have given them enough time to work on the shortcomings. “I can’t tell you how much he is clocking now, but trust me, it is much less than what he ran in the last competition,” the coach said. Sable’s last competition was the inter-state meet in Patiala, where he bettered the National Record one more time, this time clocking 8.20.20s.
The bronze medal at the Rio Games went to Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi with the timing of 8:11.52. Kumar understands the task is uphill, but not impossible.
“He will have to further reduce seven to eight seconds at least to be in contention, but I can assure he is on the right track,” the coach said. Since breaking Gopal Saini’s 37-year-old record of 8:30.88s by clocking 8:29.80s in 2018, Sable has bettered his own record five times.
Although bettering the record is not on Sable and Kumar’s agenda, it is helping them in setting the bar higher. “We don’t want to sit on old performances. Jo ho gaya, who bhool jao (forget what happened). What we remember is the new timing, which is then set as the base. We work on finishing within the new base timing,” Kumar said.
A steeplechaser has to run 7.5 rounds of 400m with 7 water jumps and 28 hurdling jumps during the race. “He jumps over 200 hurdles every day during his training. This is making his jumps smoother and also making his muscles stronger and used to the jumps. We are working on endurance and speed.” Obstructions are normal in his events. “When you have obstructions during the run, it kills your momentum, so we have been creating such obstructions during his trainings. He has 5-6 training partners who fall deliberately in front of him and his job is to avoid those obstructions and focus on his goal. This is to prepare for the unexpected,” the coach added.
KNOW AVINASH SABLE
National record holder in 3000m steeplechase (8:20.20). Has broken the record five times.
Won the 2020 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon event after finishing first in the elite Indian men’s category.
First Indian to qualify for the 3000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships (in 2019)
