At the JSerra Catholic HS competition in San Juan Capistrano, California, on Friday, ace middle distance runner Avinash Mukund Sable broke the three-decade-old national record in the men's 5000m with a new time of 13 minutes, 25.65 seconds.
Sable, a 27-year-old from Maharashtra's drought-prone Madhva village, is well-known for wiping historic records. The Tokyo Olympian has broken the 3,000-meter steeplechase record seven times. He erased Gopal Saini's 37-year-old mark the first time he entered the record books in this event. In addition, he owns the national half marathon record.
The race was more about the clock for the former Asian Athletics Championship silver medalist than a podium finish. It was only his second competitive race in 5,000 meters and was outstanding.
The shocking news he received through WhatsApp message in Varanasi ended a three-decade wait for Bahadur Prasad, who held the country's oldest men's track record until Saturday morning.
"I envision him breaking more records and moving faster. I've wanted someone to go faster than me for years. If a record remains for 30 years, it is not good for a country's athletics. I'd want to congratulate Sable and encourage him to pursue his dreams. I believe he's a fantastic athlete," Prasad remarked.
Sable's athletic development has been phenomenal. He was a havildar with the Army in Siachen till around seven years ago. He was moved to a tiny cantonment in the desert town of Lalgarh Jattan, near the Pakistan border in Rajasthan.
The child who walked 12 kilometres to and from school was given a fortuitous break when he was chosen to join a training group for an Army cross-country competition.
Sable has progressed quickly from a fortuitous selection to becoming the country's top track athlete, holding three national records. At the now-cancelled Asian Games in China, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) wanted him to compete in both the 3,000 and 5,000 metres steeplechase.
"We wanted to field him in the steeplechase and the 5,000 metres because he was a medal contender," said Radhakrishnan Nair, the main national coach.
Sable moved to the high-altitude Olympic training camp in Colorado Springs with India's long distance coach Scott Simmons, a former head track coach of the US army, with the hopes of achieving podium performances.
Sable's self-assurance has also improved. "When I first arrived in Colorado, I was unable to train as hard as the rest of my teammates. However, I can now match them. I'll eventually catch up to them," he adds. That, however, will not be enough for Sable. He's already planning for the World Championships, which will take place in a few months.
"Until today, I've accomplished nothing. My ambition has always been to win a medal or to enhance my performance to the point where the next Indian who breaks my record wins a medal. But I can't be pleased with what I've accomplished thus far. The sooner I forget what I've accomplished, the better,” he says.