New Delhi, Feb 15: Gulveer Singh, who earned a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, kicked off his season with an outstanding performance, breaking a national record that had stood for 16 years in the men’s 3000m indoor event at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston.
The 26-year-old Army athlete finished second in the race with a time of 7:38.26, eclipsing the previous Indian record of 7:49.47 set by Surendar Singh in 2008.
Surendar Singh is now coaching.
Motivated by his remarkable achievement, Gulveer aims to secure automatic qualification for the upcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships in the men’s 10,000m, for which the entry standard is 27:00.00.
“I’m thrilled to have recorded such a great time in my first indoor race of the season in Boston,” Gulveer said in an AFI release, having previously won bronze in the 10,000m at the Asian Games.
“My strong performance in the 3000m (Indoor) has significantly boosted my confidence. I believe I can improve even further in the upcoming outdoor competitions.” In 2023, Gulveer set new national records in the 5,000m (13:11.82) and the 10,000m (27:14.88) outdoor events.
His best times—national records—in the 10,000m outdoor track race is 27:14.88, while his personal best in the 5,000m is 13:11.82.
Additionally, India’s Rahul participated in the 3000m indoor race, finishing with a time of 7:55.00, and Kartik Kumar completed the men’s 5000m indoor event in 14:04.67.
A dedicated group of Indian middle and long-distance runners is currently training at high altitude in Colorado Springs, USA, under the guidance of foreign coach Scott Simmons, in preparation for the forthcoming Asian and World Athletics Championships. (PTI)
