Avinash Sable is a proven history-maker. In 2022, he ended Kenya's 28-year sweep of the 3000m steeplechase men's event at the Commonwealth Games by winning silver. In 2023, he became the first Indian to win gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games. This was also his first gold medal at a major competition. Not surprising because, though he has decimated the national record a mind-numbing nine times, it's a discipline dominated by African runners.
But the gulf showed In Hangzhou on Sunday. Avinash was the fastest man going into the race and he remained the fastest man throughout the seven and a half-laps. Such was his pace that when he finished the race, none of his competitors were even in the frame on the TV screen. He jogged the last 100 meters and virtually walked the last 10 meters; he didn't even need to bring out his season's best performance. His 8:19.50 was about eight seconds slower than his season best of 8:11:63. He kept track of his lap splits on the big screen in the stadium, lapped a couple of runners and effectively ran a race against himself.
But it barely matters, what Avinash did today was exactly what he had planned on doing. "I just want to enjoy this race, mujhe khulke bhaagna hai [I want to run freely]," he told ESPN in a conversation last week in Bengaluru. "I've always run at the pace of others, but this one time I want to run at my pace based on how my body reacts. Until 2021, I used to run at my own pace in India, but since then I have run very few races at my pace. It's always been me matching others' pace in international events. That's why it's important that I run freely and enjoy the 3000m at the Asian Games," he said.
It marks a comeback for Sable after a disappointing World Championships campaign. He did not qualify for the final and was reduced to tears after the race. He said it felt bad to not make it to the final despite having worked so hard for it. It hurt. It stung. But he channelled that energy into training for the Asian Games.
He shifted base from Colorado in the US to Bengaluru because he felt the weather in India was similar to that of China. "I come to Bengaluru whenever things are not working well for me. I've got most of my best results when training here," he said.
Smart move, as his Hangzhou outing today proved.