Fit-again after calf and hamstring injuries, steeplechaser Avinash Sable eyes training stint in Morocco before World Athletics Championships

Indian Express

2 days ago

An injury to the right calf and hamstring was the reason for a mellow start to the season, India's middle-distance runner Avinash Sable said. Sable has run three races so far this year but his timings are nowhere close to the personal best of 8 minutes, 9.91 seconds.
Sable started the season with the Xiamen Diamond League in April, clocking 8:22.59. He then ran at the Shanghai Diamond League, where he recorded a time of 8:23.85 and his last race was at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, where he clocked 8:20.92 to record his season best and also win the gold medal.
The athlete from Maharashtra revealed that he was carrying an injury in the right calf and hamstring, which has impacted his timings. 'I was injured at the start of the season and that resulted in the poor results in the two Diamond League events in China,' Sable told the reporters in Bengaluru. 'Last-minute pull-outs from such big events send the wrong message, so I decided to go on with it despite the injury. I had a calf injury, and there was a lot of pain in my right calf and hamstring. But now I have recovered.'
Currently training at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru, Sable has recovered from his injury and is looking forward to the upcoming tournaments. 'The recovery was good and I feel much better than at the start of the season,' said Sable.
Sable will next compete at the Diamond League in Monaco next month but his ultimate target this year is September's World Championship. 'I might participate in the Brussels Diamond League (after the Monaco leg). I will compete in some competitions in India also. My main focus will be to do well in the World Championships,' he said.
Until the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sable was training under Scott Simmons at Colorado Springs in the USA. However, after the Olympics, he has moved back to Bengaluru and is looking forward to some options in Africa to train.
'It was good training under Scott Simmons but I think I needed a change as it was not suited for my body. Currently, I don't have a full-time coach. I take support from Coach Kalyan Chaudhary who has been appointed by the Athletics Federation of India. Mostly, I have been making my plans and working on them, with Kalyan sir guiding me whenever needed. I trained under him before the two Diamond Leagues and then again ahead of the Asian Championships,' said Sable.
He added: 'I searched for training bases in Africa and I have zeroed down on Morocco. The city of Ifrane is on my mind. After the Monaco Diamond League, I plan to train there for 45 days and spend some time training in Bengaluru also before the World Championships.'
The plan to train in Morocco has not yet been sanctioned. Sable said he'll soon send a proposal to the federation.
Sable became the first-ever Indian to dip below the timing of 8:10.00 in the 3000m steeplechase last year at the Paris Diamond League, setting a new national record.
'Last year was not that great due to the injuries later on. After the Paris Diamond League, I planned to run more races with a similar timing but it didn't happen,' said Sable. 'I have worked on things like finishing the race and tracking my mileage throughout the race. With the preparation I have, there are good chances that I clock my personal best or time closer to it at the Monaco Diamond League. At the World Championships, my focus will be to improve on my previous performance at the event.'
Like the 90m mark that bothered Indian Javelin star Neeraj Chopra for years, the question of the 8-minute mark in steeplechase is quite prevalent.
When asked if he, too, thinks about the milestone, Sable said: 'I want to break the 8-minute barrier but I know it won't happen that quickly. With training and gradual improvement, I might break it sometime later.'
Apart from Steeplechase, Sable also runs the 5000m and 10000m occasionally. But he wants to focus on 5,000m after the World Championships. 'Sometimes, if I focus on two events, it hampers my performance in my main event. I might try 1500m or 5000m but my focus will be on Steeplechase till Worlds. After the World Championships, I will focus more on the 5000m also and won't leave the event,' he concluded.
8:20.92- Asian Athletics Championships
8:22.59- Xiamen Diamond League
8:23.82- Shanghai Diamond League
(The writer is at the National Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru, at the invitation of the Sports Authority of India)