India's Parul Chaudhary beat out her Japanese opponent Ririka Hironaka in the final stretch to win gold in the women's 5000m event at the Asian Games on Tuesday, October 3. This is a second medal for Parul at the Asian Games after she won silver in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase on Monday, October 2.
Parul was coming in second place for most of the event but made a run for the gold medal in the final 100 metres of the event. Coming behind Hironaka, she had a timing of 15:14.75, as Hironaka managed 15:15.34 and Caroline Chepkoech bagged 15:23.12.
In the final stretch of the race, Parul made a surprising comeback, overtaking Ririka in the last 50 meters. Although Ririka anticipated a challenge from Parul in the outer lane, Parul cleverly deceived her and surged ahead with a burst of speed, clinching first place.
Born on April 15, 1995, Chaudhary has consistently set new personal and national records, marking her as one of India's brightest athletic stars.
On October 2, 2023, Chaudhary set the tone for India in Athletics. She recorded a time of 9:27:63 in the women's 3000m steeplechase, breaking the previous Asian Games record held by Jebet Ruth since 2014. This outstanding performance not only won her a silver medal but also made her the new record holder for this event in the Asian Games.
Following Chaudhary's lead, her fellow Indian athlete, Priti Lamba, bagged a bronze in the same event, clocking her personal best of 9:43:32. Their combined success in the 3000m steeplechase was a significant boost for the Indian team and contributed to India's overall medal count at the Games.
Earlier in 2023, Chaudhary had already demonstrated her skill in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Championships, achieving a personal best of 9:15:31. This impressive time also guaranteed her a place in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
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