Parul Chaudhary betters steeplechase national record, qualifies for World Championship
Parul Chaudhary opened her 2025 athletics season with a landmark performance, breaking the national record in the women's 3000m steeplechase and qualifying for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Competing at the Doha Diamond League on Friday night, the 28-year-old clocked 9:13.39, bettering her own previous mark of 9:15.31 set at the World Championships in Budapest two years ago.The effort earned her a sixth-place finish in a high-calibre field at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium. Uganda's Peruth Chemutai, the Paris 2024 silver medallist, followed Parul in seventh place, underscoring the quality of the Indian athlete's run.advertisement"I felt very good in the race," Parul told reporters post-event. "The weather was also nice. Considering the way I trained, the race went well. This is the first time in two years my season-opener has been good." GET IN THERE! Parul Chaudhary scripts another National Record for #TeamIndia at the #DohaDL, with her effort handing her a ticket to the 2025 World Athletics Championships, in Tokyo. #CraftingVictories pic.twitter.com/QKrGg0caOF— Inspire Institute of Sport (@IIS_Vijayanagar) May 16, 2025The timing also comfortably cleared the World Championships qualifying standard of 9:18.00, confirming Parul's participation in the Tokyo meet scheduled for September.The race was won by Kenya's Faith Cherotich in a world-leading 9:05.08. Bahrain's Olympic champion Winfred Yavi took second with 9:05.26, while Ethiopian Sembo Almayew finished third in 9:09.27.Parul's performance comes as a major boost for Indian athletics, particularly in the steeplechase discipline, where global competition has grown increasingly intense. With her run in Doha, she not only reaffirmed her standing as India's premier steeplechaser but also positioned herself among the top contenders heading into a crucial championship year.GULVEER FINISHES 9TH IN MEN'S 5000MadvertisementElsewhere in Doha, India's Gulveer Singh made his Diamond League debut in the men's 5000m, finishing ninth with a time of 13:24.32. The 25-year-old, who won bronze in the 10,000m at the Asian Games and set the Indian 5000m record earlier this year with a 12:59.77 effort in Boston, was competing against a packed field led by Kenya's Reynold Cheruiyot.Cheruiyot won the men's 5000m in Doha, setting a new personal best of 13:16.40.Must Watch
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