Gulveer Singh first Indian to run 5000m in sub-13 min, smashes Asian Indoor mark to qualify for Tokyo. The 26-year-old Army man clocked a remarkable 12:59.77s to secure a commendable fourth position at the Terrier DMR Challenge indoor competition in Boston. Gulveer’s fine show on the Boston University track was also better than the Asian indoor record of 13:08.41s, set by Thailand’s Kieran Tuntivate in 2022. USA’s Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker claimed gold with a timing of 12:57.82s, while his compatriot Cooper Teare came second at 12: 57.97s. He marginally missed the third place in Boston despite a spirited surge, finishing behind Australian Jack Rayner, who completed the race in 12: 59.43s. His record-breaking performance meant he also bettered his outdoor national record. His personal best over 5,000m (outdoor) was clocked last year. He also recorded the timing of 27:14.88s to improve his own national record in Dec last in Japan. \”I am heading back to my training base in Colorado Springs with the satisfaction of having achieved the automatic entry standard for the World athletics. I’ll take a short break and then prepare for my next race which I plan to run in the USA on March 29,\” he said. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) coach Scott Simmons and Army coach Yunis Khan for the turnaround. \”A lot of credit has to go to coach Simmons, who helped me plan my schedule and gave me very clear guidelines during practice sessions. Coach Yunis makes sure I train right,\” he added. AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo said early season performance of the core group of Indian distance runners based out of Colorado Springs in USA augurs well for the future. \”We are hopeful of good results in the coming outdoor season,\” said Sagoo.
