Express News Service
It had been a hectic day for Avinash Sable. He won silver in the morning session beating two Kenyans and almost dislodged the other from his perch; sprinted the last 200m and managed a national record. Hours later, he was on the track to run the 5000m. There were murmurs of disbelief among experts for opting to run 5000m, too. He could have opted out but he did not.
Avinash could be unassuming. He comes across as an affable person who seems content with whatever life throws at him. As they say, appearances can be deceiving. Avinash is not a ‘quitter’. Deep within, he is obstinate and there is that instinct that doesn’t let him give up until the end. “Since I entered the race, I wanted to finish it. I don’t like to quit,” he said during an interaction along with his new coach Scott Simmons on Sunday. Even during the 3000m steeplechase, he felt he could win and he did not give up.
The World Championships had not been easy for him. Despite being aware of his ability, he was outfoxed by the Kenyans, the Ethiopians and Moroccans. He finished 11th with a timing he had given some four years ago — 8:31.75s. He knew about his ability. He knew the race would be fast and he would be able to get his competitors. Yet towards the end when he tried to run faster, he couldn’t. The tactic failed. “We knew that in the past World Championships and all the races, the timings were around 8.05s and I knew I had to run fast right from the start and we were expecting a fast race,” said Avinash. “But when we started, I realised that the first lap was slow and that it was indeed a slow race. And I thought this was to my advantage. I thought this was a slow race and towards the end, I thought I would be able to run faster but I couldn’t. But on Saturday, I was following the race very closely. The Kenyans thought if they started a fast race, they would be winning the medals.”
The Kenyans did not realise that Avinash had been preparing for a fast race. “My coach and I had been practising fast races. So when the Kenyans pushed forward, I was ready for it. I held on with them and realised I can match them. Then Kibiwot (gold winner Abraham Kibiwot), around 800m before the finish line, started the push. I did not realise that others were tired by then. Otherwise, I could have kicked in around the same time and the result could have been different.”
There is a change of mindset too. With more exposure, there’s experience too. Avinash, who refused to train abroad on quite a few occasions last year, felt the training in Colorado Springs really helped.
“Earlier I thought that training abroad would be difficult for us. There is a feeling that diet could be a problem, whether or not an athlete would like it or not. And that training in India is good. However, after coming here (US), I realised how important this exposure is. I must thank the Athletics Federation of India for planning. This has allowed me to train with better athletes from different competitions. In India, I could have still improved on my timing but I would not have got the confidence to compete against top athletes from Kenya. If we can beat them in practice then we can beat them in competitions as well.”
“I started competing in more international events. The Diamond League, the World Championships, helped to compete against Kenyans and other African runners. Now I know what to expect and also this medal has given me the confidence to beat anybody — Kenyan or African.”
‘Nikolai did a lot for me’
The 27-year-old from Beed, Maharashtra, talked effusively about coach late Nikolai Snesarev, who died last year in March in Patiala. “I cannot forget what coach Nikolia has done for me,” he said emotionally.
“He made me believe in myself. A lot of coaches will come and go, but the influence he had on me I can never forget. I am not saying that this coach is not good, every coach is good but there are certain episodes in life that never leave you. Sometimes I feel like crying. He used to say ‘Avinash, you can do this’, when I did not think I could. Everything was fine and it was a big shock when he left us. I was disturbed by his death. And took time to recover.”
“Even AFI had given me opportunities. They wanted me to go abroad. I did not understand that time. If I would have gone to Uganda, I could have improved further and done better at the Olympics. This time the federation had asked me to go and I agreed. Not that I was convinced that I said ok. I should have taken the advice of AFI earlier. If I had not come here (US), I don’t think I would be performing like this. I never realised my capacity. But after coming here, I realised I can compete against everybody.”
As Avinash gets ready for more challenges, including Diamond League, he felt he is primed for better finishes in the days to come.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
