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After the disappointment of Inderjeet Singh, failing to secure a medal in Shot Put final at the IAAF World Championships on Sunday, India found some cheer on Monday, courtesy Lalita Babar who broke the national record in 3000m steeplechase heats and in the process also qualified for the final.
Babar becomes the first Indian ro reach the finals of a track event at the World Championships.
The 26-year-old recorded a timing of 9:27.86, which ensured a fourth-place finish, thereby also surpassing her own record of 9:34.13, which she achieved at the 2015 Asian Athletics Championships in Wuhan, China, in June this year.
That timing had some significance as well, as it helped her win the gold and most importantly, helped her qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Babar has won the Mumbai Marathon on three consecutive occasions between 2012 and 2014. In January last year, Babar made the decision to switch to the 3000m steeplechase event which proved to be vital.
That decision proved to be fruitful as she won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and in the process broke the national record, which was held at the time by Sudha Singh.
India would be hoping that Babar carries on with her good form and gets India’s its first meal of the 2015 World Championships.
