Parul wins 3000m steeplechase gold at New York athletics meet
NEW Yo R k: Indian distance runner Parul Chaudhary gave another glimpse of her superb form in the run-up to the Asian Games by winning the 3000m steeplechase title in Track Night meet in New York.
Parul clocked 9 minutes 41.88 seconds to take first place on Friday night in the Icahn Stadium, which hosted the Bronze-level event which is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.
American competitor Madeline Strandemo finished second in 10:02.48 with her compatriot Meredith Rizzo taking third place in 10:08.52 in the six-runner field.
“While Parul Chaudhary finished 1st in women’s 3000m steeplechase (9:41.88), Lili Das was 3rd in women’s 1500m (4:15.23) at World Athletics Bronze Track Night in New York (May 19),” the Athletics Federation of India tweeted on Saturday.
Withthistiming,the28-year-oldparulchaudhary, who broke the women’s 5000m national record at a meet in Los Angeles earlier this month, made the cut for the Asian Athletics Championships to be held later this year.
Meanwhile, Lili Das, competing in the seeded women’s 1500m race, clocked a season’s best 4:15.23 to finish third. Alexina Teubel of the USA won the event with a timing of 4:07.68. In the men’s 1500m, Ajay Kumar Saroj clocked a time of 3:41.28 to finish eighth. Shankar Lal Swami, meanwhile, did not finish the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Parul Chaudhary and the other Indian athletes are currently training and competing in the US.
Meanwhile, With the conclusion of the 26th Nationalfederationcupseniorathleticschampionships in Ranchi on May 18, as many as six athletes from the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) qualified for the prestigious Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Bangkok from July 12 to July 16, 2023.
Priya Mohan was the first to make the cut in the 400-metre event, striking gold with a time of 53.40 seconds. While the 20-year-old couldn’t beat her own timing from the 2021 Senior National Championships, it was enough to ensure that she met the qualification standards.
Speaking about her performance, Mohan said, “It is a moment of joy for me, but at the same time, I know I have a lot to improve upon. It will be my first senior Asian Athletics Championship, and I want to ensure that I make the most of the opportunity. My time at IIS has significantly benefited me, and I am still learning the nuances of competing at the senior level. The season has just begun, and I am looking forward to improving my timing further.”
Alongside Mohan, the IIS jumpers also made a significant mark at the competition. Rubina Yadav breached the qualification mark for the Asian Championships with a 1.80-metre jump, clinching gold in the high jump event, while Abhinaya Shety claimed bronze with a 1.76-metre jump. In the men’s category, Jesse Sandesh clinched silver with a jump of 2.18 metres. Ancy Sojan had already made a mark at the Indian GP-1 in March, where she jumped 6.49 metres. She surpassed her previous personal best of 6.55 metres by jumping 6.56 metres, seting a new personal best and clinching gold in the women’s long jump event.