New Delhi: Avinash Sable, India’s 3000m steeplechase prospect, plans altitude training at St. Moritz, Switzerland in his final stage of preparation heading into the Paris Olympics.

Sable will be competing in the Paris Diamond League on July 7 and then travel to St. Moritz in the Alps for a two-week camp. At an altitude of 1,856m, it is a preferred destination for long distance runners.

“After the Diamond League I have plans to train in St. Moritz. Our coach Scott Simons is also going to come and I will be there still July 25-26,” Sable told HT. He will then join the Indian contingent at the Olympic Village.

Athletics is scheduled from August 1-11 at the Games. The 3000m steeplechase preliminary round is scheduled on August 5 with the final scheduled two days later.

Asian Games medallists Sable and Parul Chaudhary have been training at altitude in Colorado Springs, USA with a bunch of other Indian distance runners. The duo came to India to participate at the Inter-State championships, which ended at the weekend.

“I returned to India on June 22 and started training in Bengaluru, which is not at a high level. So, it will be 15-16 days’ training in India before the Diamond League. The last stretch of training is important and I feel if I train at a high altitude, it will benefit me in Paris.”

The Inter-State meet in Panchkula was only the third competition for Sable this year. His best effort this season has been 8:21.85, at the Portland Track Festival in USA in early June. He clocked 8:31.75 at Inter-State to better his meet record set in 2019, but it was way off his national record of 8:11.20.

Sable says his focus was on training and hence he opened his season late.

“I have competed in few events because the priority was to cover every aspect in training and then test myself in competitions. I have enough experience of major competitions, so I know how to race and I am aware of the atmosphere, etc.

“One event I was eyeing from the start was the Paris Diamond League because I expect all the top steeplechasers who have qualified for Olympics to be there. So, it will be a good test and give me an indication on where I stand. Even if there is anything I need to work on I will have almost a month before my competition in Paris.”

Ethiopian world record holder Lamecha Girma ran the fastest face this season while winning at the Stockholm Diamond League (8:01.63). Moroccan Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali has competed in only one race, winning in front of his home crowd at the Rabat Diamond League, clocking 8:09.40.

Sable’s personal best (8:11.20) came at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he ran a brilliant race to claim silver, breaking the Kenyan stranglehold on medals. He beat two Kenyans and finished a close second, behind Abraham Kibiwot.

“I have competed in Diamond League, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games in the last two seasons. This year, therefore, my focus was only on preparation at the start of the season. I only ran a few 5000m and 10000m races. I was not running for timing but taking it as practice for the Olympics. For three months I have worked on endurance, strength training and speed and I feel am ready to give my best at Olympics.”

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