Challenging task for India’s head coach Scott Simmons to regroup distance running

Exposure to the high altitude of Colorado Springs for four Indian middle and long-distance runners in a 16-week camp facilitated by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) this summer was aimed at achieving good results at the National Games.

However, barring Avinash Sable, the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist in the men's 3000m steeplechase, the other three runners haven't been able to perform up to their full potential.

The performance graphs of Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase, 5000m), Shankar Lal Swami (3000m steeplechase) and Ajay Kumar Saroj (1500m) despite training at the high altitude of Colorado Springs for over three months, weren’t impressive.

Jaiveer Singh, an Indian coach with the national team, told Sportskeeda:

“It was an excellent opportunity for a core group of Indian distance runners to practice among world-class athletes in Colorado Springs in Summers. Despite getting good exposure, Parul, Swami, and Saroj weren’t able to make good progress.”

While Sable didn’t compete at the Gujarat National Games, the performances of Parul, Swami and Saroj were below-par. Saroj hasn’t been able to break the 3:40 barrier this season for 1500m. At the Gujarat National Games, he finished second, clocking 3:41.58.

While Parul was more than a minute slower than her personal best of 15:36.03 in 5000m during the Gujarat National Games. She won gold earlier this week in 5000m with a time of 16:54.38 in Gandhinagar.

Swami also won a gold medal at the Gujarat National Games but clocked 8:43.05 in the 3000m steeplechase. In April, he clocked 8:32.01 in the same category.

The AFI appointed Scott Simmon to oversee the distance running programme of the Indian athletes. Going by the overall performance of the core group of distance runners, only Sable, it seems, is able to adapt to Simmons' training system while the others are struggling. Simmons' contract lasts until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Top distance runners are expected to compete in the Open National Athletics Championships starting October 15 in Bengaluru. It will be the last domestic meeting. Thereafter, top athletes will take a break for a fortnight before joining the national camp.

Coach Jaiveer Singh explained:

“The national camp for the 2023 season will start in November."

The two major competitions of the 2023 season are the World Athletics Championships and Asian Games.

One of the core group of athletes said:

“At the moment, it is uncertain whether Indian athletes will go to Colorado Springs to practice to prepare for the World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games."