Sable hopes to raise his level in Tokyo Worlds

His 10 national records in steeplechase

- Avishek Roy

NEW DELHI: Steeplechaser Avinash Sable's preparation for the Tokyo World Championships in September received a boost with the Asian title coming his way.

Sable, a two-time Olympian, has been quietly preparing this season with a focus on the World Championships in Tokyo in September. After a disappointing result in the previous edition in Budapest, where he failed to progress to the final, Sable is determined to make amends.

This season, Sable has been training in Ooty, unlike the past few years when he was based in high-altitude Colorado Springs in the US. The seasoned campaigner is charting out his own training plans under the guidance of coach Kalyan Chaudhari.

Sable, 30, has competed in three events so far, opening his season at the Xiamen Diamond League in Doha with a time of 8:22.59. In his next Diamond League race in Shaoxing, he finished eighth (8:23.85). At the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, Sable was in control of the race, finishing well ahead of the field (8:20.92) to win his first title at the continental meet. He won silver in the 2019 Doha edition.