Two-time Olympian and national record holder Avinash Sable finished ninth in the 3000m men’s steeplechase event at the Diamond League 2024 final in Brussels on Saturday (September 14). The Indian produced a sub-par timing of 8:17.09. (Highlights | More Sports News)
Sable, who was celebrating his 30th birthday, failed to impress in his maiden Diamond League final. He finished second last in what became a 10-man field as two athletes did not finish.
Kenya's Amos Serem emerged as the winner with a time of 8:06.90, while reigning Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali (8:08.60) of Morocco was second in the season-ending finale. Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui of Tunisia was third with 8:09.68.
World champion and Paris Olympics silver medallist Neeraj Chopra will be in action in the men's javelin throw event of the DL final, late on Saturday night.
Sable had finished 11th in the Paris Olympic Games with a time of 8:14.18. He had finished 14th in the overall Diamond League standings with three points from two meetings. But four athletes ranked higher than him -- Lamecha Girma (injured) of Ethiopia, Geordie Beamish of New Zealand, Ryuji Mura of Japan and Hillary Bor of the USA -- pulled out, allowing him to sneak inside the top 10 cut-off.
Five meetings out of the 14 in the DL series across the world this season had men's 3000m steeplechase event.
Reigning Asian Games champion Sable had finished sixth with a national record time of 8:09.91 -- bettering his own earlier mark -- in the Paris leg of the Diamond League on July 7. He was 14th at the Silesia leg with a time of 8:29.96 on August 25.
Each Diamond League season finale champion is awarded a 'Diamond Trophy', USD 30,000 prize money and a wild card for the World Athletics Championships.
(With PTI inputs)