Avinash Sable

Avinash Sable is an Indian track and field athlete born on 13th September 1994. Sable specializes in a 3000m steeplechase. He hails from Mandwa in Maharashtra’s Beed district. He currently holds the national record of 8:21:37 set in the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. Avinash Sable is the first steeplechaser from India since 1952 to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2021

Avinash Sable - Early Life , Family & Background

Avinash Sable was born into a family of farmers. From the young age of 6, Sable used to walk for 6 km every day from home to school and return due to lack of transport facilities in his village. Sable is an army personnel. After the completion of his matriculation, Sable joined the 5 Mahar Regiment of the Indian Army and was posted at Siachen Glacier in 2013-2014. He was later transferred to the deserts of north-western Rajasthan and Sikkim in 2015.

In 2015, upon the insistence of his colleagues in the Indian Army, he took part in inter-army cross country running before he switched to specialization in steeplechase under the Chief Coach of the Army’s distance running program Amrish Kumar in 2017. During his training with the Army services team, Sable focused on improving his timing and stamina and that’s when he caught the eyes of his trainer Amrish Kumar.

Sable has graduated from Pune University and currently resides in Bengaluru. He’s working as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army.

Avinash Sable - Biography

Avinash Sable’s journey to success started with a setback. He was forced to withdraw from the 2018 Asian Games after he had suffered an ankle injury. After recuperating from the injury, Sable participated in the Open National Athletics Championship in Bhubaneshwar, where he broke the national record set by Gopal Saini at the 1981 Asian Championship in Tokyo, clocking 8:29.88.

In 2019, He participated in the Federation Cup in Patiala where he broke his national record by clocking 8:28:94, as a result, he got a direct entry into the 2019 Asian Athletics Championship and 2019 World Athletics Championships. He became the 1st male steeplechaser from India to participate in the World Athletics Championships since 1991.

At the 2020 Airtel Delhi Marathon, Avinash Sable broke the Indian half marathon by clocking 1:00.30s and became the only Indian to complete the half marathon in under 61 minutes. He finished 10th in the event.

Avinash Sable - Achievements

In 2019, Avinash Sable made his international debut at the Asian Athletics Championships where he won his 1st international medal by clinching Silver in 3000M steeplechase, with a timing of 8.30.19.

7 months later, he broke his national record at the World Athletics Championships by clocking 8:25.23 in heats. Sable finished 7th and was out of the final after he was subjected to accidental tripping by Ethiopian steeplechaser Takele Nigate twice. However, Sable was included in the final of the 3000m steeplechase after the Athletics Federation of India successfully appealed for his inclusion in the final and therefore, he became 1st Indian to qualify for the 3000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships.

In the final, he bettered his own national record by clocking 8:21.37. He finished 13th in the race out of 16 steeplechasers but booked his berth at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after achieving the benchmark to qualify for the event.