At the Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday, India’s Avinash Sable finished 11th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final. Sable clocked a time of 8:14.18 at the Stade de France. Despite starting strong and holding a fourth-place position after the first 1000 meters, he gradually fell behind and slipped out of the top 10.
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali claimed gold with a season-best time of 8:06.05, successfully defending his Olympic title. The silver medal went to Kenneth Brooks of the United States, who set a personal best of 8:06.41. Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot took bronze.
Earlier in the competition, Sable had qualified for the final by finishing fifth in Heat 2 with a time of 8:15.43. In that heat, he was competitive early on but lost momentum after a stumble over one of the hurdles. The top finishers in Heat 2 included Morocco’s Mohamed Tindouft, Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu, Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot, and Japan’s Ryuji Miura.
In Heat 1, Soufiane El Bakkali led with a time of 8:17.90, followed by Uganda’s Leonard Chemutai, Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale, Spain’s Daniel Arce, and Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaziri, who also advanced to the final. Kenya’s Amos Serem, the winner of the national trials, struggled with the water jump and did not qualify for the final after a problematic attempt.
Sable’s performance at the Paris Games highlighted his competitive edge, though he ultimately fell short of a medal placement.