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UP’s Parul wins gold in 3000m steeplechase, Shaili jumps for silver at Asian Athletics C’ships
Parul, who has already qualified for the September’s Asian Games in China, clocked 9:36:76 seconds to finish on top of the table, pushing Chinese and Japanese rivals to second and third places, respectively
LUCKNOW After winning her solitary medal at a major international event - a 5000m bronze at the Doha Asian Championships in 2019, 28-year-old Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary from Meerut claimed her second international medal on Friday, this time a gold, in the 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Athletics Championships-2023 in Bangkok.
Parul, who had already qualified for the September’s Asian Games in China, clocked 9:36:76 seconds to finish on top of the table, pushing Chinese and Japanese rivals to second and third places, respectively. “My simple target was to win a gold medal and a ticket for the World Championship. The timing wasn’t that good, but anyways I am happy to win gold,” she said.
Jhansi’s Shaili Singh won the other medal for Uttar Pradesh, bagging a silver in the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.54 metres, which she recorded in her second attempt. With Singh’s medal, UP’s athletes now have four medals in the prestigious event, including two gold, one silver and a bronze.
Terming her race as not very tough, Parul said her 84-day training under Scott Simmons in Colorado Springs, US, helped her achieve success. “I ran the race according to the speed of my rivals and I was sure of winning a gold today,” she said.
Ironically, she was sitting nervous after finishing outside the medal bracket in the 1500m event at the Junior Nationals in Ranchi in 2011, when her childhood coach VK Bajpai asked her to try her luck in the steeplechase as there was a vacant slot for Uttar Pradesh’s athlete. However, the win then inspired her to take the event seriously.
Parul’s national coach Jaiveer Singh was excited to see his trainee win a gold in Bangkok on Friday. “It’s a proud moment for all of us. She is an extraordinary athlete and has the capacity to beat the world. Now, I can clearly see her making a podium finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics and at the World Championship and Asian Games too,” coach Jaiveer said from Bengaluru.
“She (Parul) has courage to compete against all odds. She has been training hard and I am sure that soon she will start completing the distance in 9:15-20 secs,” he said, adding, “Parul would be leaving for Colorado Springs next week for further training and is expected to land in China for the Asian Games in September.”
“Parul has been a dedicated athlete, who always remains focused on her target,” said her childhood coach Bajpai, who taught her the finer points of the event after spotting her talent during the “talent spot scheme’ in 2008 during his posting in Meerut.
“Had Parul not participated in the 3000m steeplechase event in Ranchi’s Junior Nationals on my request, she would not have achieved this golden success today,” he added.
Parul, who had missed the Tokyo Olympics ticket by a whisker due to her ranking then, set a national record of 15:10.35s in the 5000m race at the Track Festival in Walnut, California this May. She then clocked her personal best of 9:29. 51s in her pet event of 3000m steeplechase, at the Los Angeles Grand Prix on May 26.
She also stood on top at the Track Night in New York with a timing of 9:41.88 sec after clocking 9:34.23 sec at the Inter-State Championships at Bhubaneshwar in June.
