Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable to compete in Diamond League final in Brussels
National record holder Avinash Sable is set to make his debut in the prestigious Diamond League Final in Brussels, where he will compete in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Sable will join India’s star javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra, making it a historic occasion as two of India’s finest track and field athletes participate in the season-ending event. The 3000m steeplechase, a winner-takes-all race, will feature Sable amongst 12 elite participants on Friday, September 13.
Despite finishing 14th overall in the Diamond League standings with three points from two meetings, Sable earned his spot in the final after four higher-ranked athletes — Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma (injured), New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, Japan’s Ryuji Mura, and USA’s Hillary Bor — were unable to participate.
The two-day Diamond League final, scheduled for September 13 and 14, will kick off with the men’s 3000m steeplechase on the first day, followed by the men’s javelin throw event the next day. Sable’s participation marks a significant milestone in his career, particularly following his national record-breaking performance of 8:09.91 in the Paris leg of the Diamond League on July 7, where he finished sixth.
He followed that performance with a 14th-place finish in the Silesia leg on August 25 with a time of 8:29.96. However, Sable had a challenging outing at the Paris Olympics on August 7, finishing 11th in the final with a time of 8:14.18, but he made history by being the first Indian to qualify for the Olympic final in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra, a two-time Olympic medalist, secured his place in the Diamond League Final after finishing fourth in the overall standings. Chopra accumulated 14 points from his second-place finishes in the Doha and Lausanne meets, adding to his growing list of international achievements.
The stakes are high for the athletes, as the Diamond League season finale offers significant rewards. The champion will receive the coveted ‘Diamond Trophy,’ along with USD 30,000 prize money and a wild card for the next World Athletics Championships. The runner-up will earn USD 12,000, while those finishing in lower positions will receive a sliding scale of prize money down to USD 1,000 for the eighth-placed finisher.