Watch: Avinash Sable Shatters Asian Games Record To Win Historic Gold Medal

A record-breaking Avinash Sable on Sunday became the first Indian man to win a gold medal in 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Games. The 29-year-old national record holder thus earned India its first gold medal in athletics at the ongoing Games, 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. 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.

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

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.

India's 1st Gold in Athletics and 12th Gold overall in Asian Games 2023.

Avinash Sable becomes first Indian to win 3000m steepchase gold in Asian Games. pic.twitter.com/woqz0HKwDk

Javelin throw was one of the two events Swapna had won in 2018 en route to becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold.

Overall, Swapna was ranked fourth with 4840 points, 11 points behind her nearest rival Jingyi Liu of China ahead of the 800m race, which is the last segment of the seven-event competition.

The other Indian in the fray, Nandini Agasara notched a personal best of 39.88m in javelin throw that took her overall ranking to fifth place.

Earlier in the day, Swapna Barman leapt 5.71m in the long jump, while Nandini Agasara