Avinash Sable finishes 8th in men’s 3000m SC at Keqiao Diamond League, runs slower than he did at Xiamen

India’s Avinash Sable on Saturday finished eighth in men’s 3000m Steeplechase at the ongoing Keqiao Diamond League. His timing of 8 minutes and 23.85 seconds is a far cry from his personal best and National Record of 8:09.91.

Sable had participated in his first DL meet of the year in Xiamen last week and finished with a time of 8:22.59. Before that, the 30-year-old had last featured in the Diamond League Final of September 2024, where he had finished ninth with a time of 8:17.09.

Sable, however, improved on his qualification rank of 12, which had fetched him one qualification point.

Sable, who finished 11th at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a time of 8:14.18, has already qualified for Tokyo’s World Championships in September on the basis of his Paris 2024 performance.

READ: Xiamen Diamond League: Avinash Sable finishes 13th in men’s 3000m Steeplechase

Abrham Sime finished ahead of everyone in 8:07.92. The Ethiopian had established the lead by the 2000m mark. Kenyans Edmund Serem (8:08.68) and Simon Kiprop Koech (8:09.05) complete the top three.

Abderrafia Bouassel of Morocco was leading till the kilometre mark, before he got tagged DNF. Daniel Arce of Spain and Kenya’s Chemiat Wilberforce Kones were the others who didn’t finish the race.

Sime’s compatriot Samuel Firewu, who had stunned the reigning Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco for the top spot at Xiamen, slotted sixth with 8:11.18. Firewu’s 8:05.61 last Saturday, is in fact, the current World Lead time. El Bakkali wasn’t a part of the field in Keqiao.

Abraham Kibiwot, bronze medallist of the 2024 Paris Olympics, finished seventh.