Sable runs Kenyan Kibiwot close in steeplechase; Priyanka finishes second behind Australia's Jemima
Rio Olympics and two-time world champion Conseslus Kipruto was the big threat for compatriot Abraham Kibiwot and Indian record holder Avinash Sable at the start of the men's 3,000m steeplechase final at the Commonwealth Games.
In the end, it turned out to be a stunning race between Kibiwot and Sable with the former grabbing the Commonwealth Games title by 0. 05 seconds at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Kibiwot timed 8:11.15 while Sable clocked his personal best of 8:11.20s. Kenya's 2021 world U-20 champion Amos Serem took the bronze in 8:16.83s.
It was the ninth time the Armyman was rewriting the national record. The Indian, who was lying in fourth place at the 1000m and 2000m mark, covered the last 1000m in 2:43.4 seconds, even faster than Kibiwot, but the Kenyan survived the onslaught. Kipruto settled for sixth place, clocking 8:34.96 seconds.
"Everyone was afraid of Kipruto's kick but not his fitness. Kibiwot and Sable discussed making the race fast. Sable was to lead the first kilometre with Kibiwot taking over the next. After the 600m mark, it seemed Kibiwot wanted it even faster and pushed from the front. Sable only had to follow and focus on good hurdles and water jump and wait for what we prepared for - a fast finish. He executed that very well in a championship race," Sable's coach Scott Simons told TOI from Birmingham.
PRIYANKA WALKS INTO HISTORY
For Priyanka Goswami, who returned to the track to race for the first time since her junior days, it was like a throwback as she worked her way to the silver medal in the women's 10,000m race walk. The absence of her coach Russian Tatyana Sibileva, who was cooling her heels in Bengaluru, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine scuttling her chances for a UK visa, did not affect Priyanka as she climbed the podium in style.
Priyanka, who finished a disappointing 34th in the 20km race walk at the Worlds in Oregon, made amends as she took the lead during the initial laps. After briefly dropping down to third, Priyanka upped the tempo in the last 2 km but in the end, it was Australia's Jemima Montag who defended her title, clocking a personal best time 42:34.30.
In 2018, she won the gold on the roads of Gold Coast but it was no different when the action shifted to the track.
Priyanka, an aspiring model, looking stylish in her blue sunglasses that matched her outfit, clocked her personal best of 43:38.83 seconds to finish second ahead of Kenya's Emily Wamusyi Ngii 43:50.86, who also clocked a PB.
"It was like my junior days when we raced on tracks before hitting the roads as a senior. But it was not tough for me as I had done 35km races. I was looking at finishing the race in my time of 43 minutes and was not worried about a medal," Priyanka told reporters in an online media interaction.
The 26-year-old was happy to create history and join her coach Harminder Singh, the first race walker to win a medal in CWG at New Delhi in 2010.
