Parul Chaudhary won bronze in the women's 3000m steeplechase at the 2026 Asian Games
She became the first Indian woman to dip under the 9:10 barrier
The achievement matches Sudha Singh's record of two individual Asian Games medals in the event
Parul Chaudhary continues to rewrite Indian steeplechase history. The 31-year-old smashed her own national record to claim bronze in the Women's 3000m Steeplechase final at Asian Games 2026, clocking 9:08.67 — shaving over three seconds off her previous mark of 9:12.46, set at the Asian Championships in Gumi in 2025.
With that run, she becomes the first Indian woman ever to dip under the 9:10 barrier in the event. Bahrain's Winfred Yavi won gold in a Games Record 9:04.36, with Kazakhstan's Norah Jeruto Tanui taking silver in 9:06.82, while Parul completed the podium. It capped a superb team effort, with compatriot Ankita running a personal best of 9:19.24 to finish fourth — putting two Indians inside the top four.
This is the latest chapter in what has been a career-defining few years for the Uttar Pradesh runner. Parul first burst onto the international scene at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games with a stunning double — gold in the 5000m and silver in the 3000m steeplechase — before going on to become Asian Champion in the steeplechase later that year.
She has repeatedly rewritten the national record books in the event since, and also holds national records in the 3000m and 5000m. Remarkably, this bronze arrives just a day after she competed in the women's 1500m final in Nagoya, underlining the sheer range and endurance that has made her one of India's most reliable performers on the international stage across multiple distance events.
The medal also carries a special significance in the context of Indian steeplechase history. With this bronze added to her 2023 Hangzhou silver, Parul now has two individual Asian Games medals in the 3000m steeplechase — matching the tally set by legendary Indian steeplechaser Sudha Singh, who won gold at the 2010 Guangzhou Games and silver at Jakarta 2018.
Once a junior looking up to Sudha Singh and Lalita Babar, Parul has now firmly placed herself alongside them in the pantheon of India's greatest steeplechasers, continuing to inspire the next generation the way her own idols once inspired her.
