World Championships: Avinash Sable breaks national record, included in final after AFI's successful appeal

Sable's earlier national record was 8:28.94 was set during the Federation Cup earlier this year. Sable is now the first male steeplechaser from India to qualify for the World Championships since Deena Ram (1991).

Doha: India’s Avinash Sable broke his own national record and qualified for 3000m steeplechase final after India’s successful appeal in an eventful race in the World Championships on Tuesday.

“Avinash included in finals after India’s successful appeal,” the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) tweeted.

• Avinash included in finals after India's successful appeal@kaypeem @StanByMe28 @rahuldpawar @BhutaniRahul

  — Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) October 1, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Avinash included in finals after India's successful appeal@kaypeem @StanByMe28 @rahuldpawar @BhutaniRahul

  — Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) October 1, 2019

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  Avinash included in finals after India's successful appeal@kaypeem @StanByMe28 @rahuldpawar @BhutaniRahul

  — Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) October 1, 2019

Before the appeal, Sable could not qualify for the finals of the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Sable, 24, clocked 8 minutes, 25.23 seconds to finish seventh in the first round heat number 3 and 20th overall out of 44 athletes who completed the race. The top three in each of the three heats and the next six fastest qualify for the final race.

Sable's earlier national record was 8:28.94 was set during the Federation Cup earlier this year. Sable had to overcome hurdles during his race as he was blocked by reigning junior world champion Takele Nigate of Ethiopia and had to virtually climb up the obstacle, thereby losing time.

Avinash Sable

In the first, Sable had to jump over another competitor as four-five athletes at the rear fell over each other. Midway during the race, Nigate bumped into an obstacle just in front of Sable. The Indian had to virtually climb up the obstacle as he was blocked by the Ethiopian, thereby losing crucial time.

Sable then made an impressive recovery towards the end but it was not enough for a place in the final on a track where he had won a silver in April in the Asian Championships with a time of 8:30.19.
The top three in each of the three heats and the next six fastest qualify for the final race.

Sable is now the first male steeplechaser from India to qualify for the World Championships since Deena Ram (1991).