India's Parul Chaudhary had to settle for the 11th spot in the in the women’s 3000m steeplechase finals at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday, August 27 but her commendable effort saw her set up a new national record and qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Parul managed to clock an individual best of 9:24.29s in the heats at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, produced a better performance in the final and clocked 9:15.31 to romp past Lalita Babar's record of 9:19.76 that the latter had achieved at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
Though the Indian runner's stupendous effort at the event was not good enough for her to win a medal, it turned out to be more than enough for her to breach the qualifying standards of the Paris Olympics set for the women’s steeplechase event at 9:23.00.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) acknowledged her outstanding performance and the fact that it helped her set up a new national record for her compatriots to aim at.
"Parul wins hearts with her performance at #World #Athletics Championships
The NCOE @SAI_Bengaluru
Camper unfolds a new chapter as she breaks the National Record & gives her PB time of 9:15.31s in Women's Steeplechase Event.
She finished 11th but with her time Qualified for #ParisOlympics
What a great race! Many congratulations champ," SAI posted.
The final of the women's 3000m steeplechase event was won by Bahrain's Winfred Yavi with a record time of 8:54.29. The 2018 Asian Games champion Yavi did it with ease at the end beating the rest of the runners who made it to the finals. The silver went to the 2019 world champion Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya as she recorded her season-best timing of 8:58.98. The bronze medal was won by Chepkoech's compatriot Faith Cherotich, who clocked her personal best of 9:00.69.
