Avinash Sable didn’t let his disappointment of last year’s Budapest world championships linger on for long. The Hangzhou Asian Games was less than two months away and the 3000m steeplechase champion needed to get on with preparation.

He didn’t go back with the Indian team to their base at Colorado Springs, United States. Instead, he opted to train in Bengaluru and striking gold in China restored his belief. But Sable did take a hard look at his preparation for major events. In the 2022 Eugene Worlds, he qualified for the final, but got sucked into a slow race, finishing 11th clocking 8:31.75. At Budapest, another tactical and slow preliminary heat caught him off guard, finishing seventh (8:22.24) to be eliminated.

“This year the focus has been on preparation, so that I don’t run behind but run shoulder to shoulder with the front group. That’s why I started late. I want to cover all the bases in training,” a relaxed Sable told HT.

The conversation was free-flowing at the Inter-State meet in Panchkula last month. It was only his second competition this year, but Sable eagerly awaited the Paris Diamond League a week away on July 7. That was going to tell him about his preparation. “I got invitations from Diamond Leagues, but refused. My focus is on preparation for Olympics. I know what it is to compete in international events. I don’t have a fear of international competition anymore.

“Earlier, I used to think how will I enter among a pack of runners… There will be so many athletes – taller, smaller. How will I spot the hurdle? All that fear has gone. I thought I am consistently competing in DL, breaking national records, but have not been able to deliver at world championships in the last two years.

“I know people might think why is Sable not running (but) I have learnt to back my decisions. I’ve not thought about results in the preparation phase. I told myself I will accept all that comes my way, but whatever has to happen should happen before Olympics, not during it. This has been my mentality this year.”

The Paris Diamond League was ideal preparation for the Olympics because the top runners were there.

The Paris DL seemed to vindicate his approach. Fourth at the start of the final lap, Sable finished sixth, but broke his national record clocking 8:09.91. Kenyans Abraham Kibiwot and Leonard Kipkemoi, who will compete in the Paris Olympics, were in the race. Ethiopian Sime Abrham won clocking 8:02.36.

The national record came, but Sable would have studied other minute details as he headed to St Morris in the Swiss Alps for his current final preparation with US coach Scott Simmons.

“Last year, the target was to get good timing; this year it is the opposite – keep doing your best in training – speed, endurance, final kick.”

Having broken the national record multiple times, Sable says his obsession with timing is over. “I was running for timing and if I didn’t get it in one race, I would call up Scott that I want to enter this Diamond League or some other competition. I would want to have another race quickly and set that timing. But I was losing crucial time to train and it was affecting my preparation for major championships.

“In India, we have the mentality that if Avinash has done 8:11 last year he should improve in the first competition this season. My mentality was the same, I have to break my PB as soon as possible.”

The 2022 Commonwealth Games was the first race which gave Sable belief that he is world class. Running against three Kenyans, he snatched silver clocking a national record 8:11.20 secs. Sable wants the Paris race to be like Birmingham.

“I think my best chances will be if it is a race like athletes running single file. You are clear about your position. You are able to see others. Not like a bunch till the last lap and then there is a burst. In such races anything can happen, even a runner with not very good endurance can win with a last kick. In 8:10, 8:11 races you know whoever is best in the field in recent times will come through.”

That didn’t happen in the last two Worlds. Moroccan Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali trumped all tactics with his pace in the last two laps, be it a slow or fast race. In 2022 Eugene, he won a slow race clocking 8:25.13; in Budapest he killed it with a fast 8:03.53s.

Sable admits the pace in the last two laps has become important and everyone is preparing for that. “I am prepared for everything.”

“Kuch bhi ho jaaye, jaise bhi race jaaye, uske liye prepare raghenge. (Whatever the race throws up, I will be ready).”

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