Asian Games, Athletics: Tajinderpal Singh Toor Defends Shot Put Gold

Shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor defended his title with an amazing final throw to beat back the challenge from his Saudi Arabian rival in Hangzhou on Sunday while Avinash Sable became the first Indian man to win the gold medal in 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Games. Toor, the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games gold medallist, came up with a mighty throw of 20.36 metres on his sixth and last attempt to overhaul his Saudi rival Mohamed Daouda Tolo's distance of 20.18 metres.

(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Toor, however, could not break his own Asian Games record of 20.75m set in 2018 Jakarta. But the 28-year-old's final throw was way too good for his Saudi rival to overhaul in his final attempt.

Sable, the 29-year-old national record holder, earned India its first gold medal in athletics, completing the race in 8:19.50 seconds.

Sable rewrote the previous Asian Games record of 8:22.79 held in the name of Iran's Hossein Keyhani set at the 2018 Jakarta Games.

Sudha Singh had won a gold in women's 3000m steeplechase in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

In the 1500m for women, India's Harmilan Bains won a silver while Ajay Kumar Saroj and Jinson Johnson won silver and bronze respectively in the men's 1500m.

Earlier, the toast of the nation in the last edition, Indian heptathlete Swapna Barman's one "last shot" at glory at the Asian Games turned into a nightmare as she struggled with injuries to virtually go out of medal reckoning after the javelin throw event.

The defending champion, who boasts of a personal best of 52.55m in javelin throw, managed a throw of just 45.13 in the penultimate event of the gruelling two-day competition.

Javelin throw was one of the two events Swapna had won in 2018 en