India, Feb. 15 -- Avinash Sable has no qualms in accepting that 2024 was among his worst years in recent years. The 30-year-old turned up in his pet event -- 3000m steeplechase -- in six competitions last year and barring the Paris Diamond League in July, where he rewrote his national record for the 11th time (8:09.91), there was nothing to gloat about. At the Olympics, Sable became the first Indian steeplechaser to make the final, but an 11th-place finish with a time of 8:14.18 didn't do justice to the promise he had shown in the couple of years leading up to Paris.

"It was one of my worst years on the circuit. I performed way below my expectations. We train for four years for the Olympics but when the moment came, I just could not deli...