World Athletics Championships 2023: Avinash Sable, Shaili Singh, triple jumpers falter on opening day

This is the first time Sable has failed to qualify for the finals.

India had a disappointing opening day in the World Athletics Championships 2023 with none of the Indian athletes reaching the finals in their respective events. While Avinash Sable finished seventh in the heats of men's 3000m steeplechase, triple jumpers Praveen Chithravel, Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker performed way below their personal bests.

Avinash Sable failed to secure a spot in the men's 3000m Steeplechase final after finishing seventh in the heats. Sable's fortunes took a turn as he encountered a stumble and despite a fervent sprint down the final stretch, his efforts fell short. His performance landed him in the seventh position out of the 12 athletes participating in the event, achieving a time of 8 minutes and 22.24 seconds in the heats.

Unfortunately, only the top five competitors from each of the three heats advance to the final. Sable concluded his attempt by finishing a mere 1.26 seconds behind the top five that would have granted him passage to the final round.

Shaili Singh couldn't secure her spot in the final of the women's long jump event. The Indian athlete landed in the 24th position out of 36 participants. To advance to the final, athletes needed to be among the top 12 in both groups and achieve an automatic qualification by reaching the 6.80-meter. She started her efforts with a jump of 6.26 meters in the first attempt during the qualification round and covered a distance of 6.40 meters in the second and third attempt.

Ajay Kumar Saroj was sole representation for India in the men's 1500m race. The qualification format involved the top six athletes from each of the four heats advancing to the semifinals. Unfortunately, Ajay Kumar Saroj secured the 13th position in the third heat. Despite a last-minute effort to bridge the gap with the leading group, the challenge proved to be overwhelming for the athlete ranked 130th in the world.

India's participation in the men's triple jump event concluded with Abdulla Aboobacker's determined efforts falling short. Aboobacker sustained hope until his final jump where he needed to exceed 16.61 meters to remain in contention but only managed a distance of 16.60 meters in his last attempt. He finished in the 15th place and only the top 12 athletes can proceed to the final.

Eldhose Paul faced a challenging night as all three of his attempts landed within the 15-meter range. Praveen Chithravel began on a strong note with a 16.38-meter jump, but he couldn't surpass this mark in subsequent jumps.

The men's 20 km race walk featured three Indian race walkers: Akashdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, and Paramjeet Singh. Among them, Vikas Singh secured the 28th position, completing the race in 1 hour 21 minutes and 58 seconds. Paramjeet Singh Bisht finished in 35th place with a time of 1:24.2 seconds while Akashdeep Singh claimed the 47th spot by finishing in 1:31.12s.

Results of Indian Athletes on day 1 of World Athletics Championships 2023

Men's Triple Jump

Abdulla Aboobacker - Attempt 1: 16.61m ; Attempt 2: 16.60m ;Attempt 3: 16.60m

Praveen Chithravel - Attempt 1: 16.38m ; Attempt 2: 16.28m ; Attempt 3: 16.32m

Eldhose Paul- Attempt 1: 15.59m; Attempt 2: 15.33m; Attempt 3: 15.31m

Women's Long Jump

Shaili Singh- Attempt 1: 6.26m ; Attempt 2: 6.40m; Attempt 3: 6.40 m

Men's 1500m -Heats

Ajay Kumar Saroj - 3:38.24s

Men's 3000m Steeplechase

Avinash Sable - 8:22:24s