Singh clinches 3000m steeplechase in sub-10 minutes to book London World Championships bert
India's Sudha Singh leads the pack in 3000m steeplechase at the 22nd Asian Athletic Championships in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Sudha Singh marked her return to international competition with a victory in the 3000m steeplechase at the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in great style — clocking a sub-10-minute time despite having to run much of the race with only her shadow for company — and booking a berth in the World Championship in London next month.
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Silver for Raghavan
Anu Raghavan found some redemption herself when she secured silver in the 400m hurdles with a personal best time of 57.22 seconds and there were bronze medals for triple jumper NV Sheena with a personal best of 13.42 seconds, the women's 4x100m relay team in 44.57 seconds and MP Jabir in the men's 400m hurdles with a personal best of 50.22 seconds as India's collection went to seven gold, four silver and nine bronze.
In the grueling steeplechase, and with no competition to challenge her, Sudha Singh had no real expectation of getting anywhere near her personal best. She had to be content with recording her season's best time.
The Rae Bareily-born Mumbaikar, who turned 31 last fortnight, settled down to a comfortable pace in the first couple of laps and, almost as if on cue from her coach Nikolai Snesarev in the stands, she increased the pace to leave the small pack of runners behind.
With the crowd cheering her from the terraces around the stadium, she ran against the clock and finished in nine minutes and 59.47 seconds.
Steel in Sudha's will
When you consider the silver medal winning time by North Korea's Hyo Gong was 14 seconds slower, you can realise the steel in Sudha Singh's will.
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