Nagoya: India’s Gulveer Singh scripted a slice of history at the Asian Games 2026 as he completed a hat-trick of medals by winning bronze in the men’s 5000m final at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium here on Tuesday.
Gulveer clocked 13:32.75 to finish third in a closely fought race, adding another medal to the silver medals he had won in the 10,000 m and 1500 m events earlier in the Games.
His latest podium finish also made Gulveer the first Indian athlete in 40 years to win three medals at a single edition of the Asian Games after former athlete and current Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief P.T. Usha, who won four medals in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.
Gulveer stayed with the leading pack through the early stages of the 5000 m final and was placed third after the opening 2000 m. He maintained his position as the race entered its decisive phase but could not challenge for the top two spots.
Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew claimed the gold medal in 13:30.79, while Japan’s Yamaguchi Tomonori finished second in 13:31.43.
Gulveer had earlier produced a memorable run in the men’s 10,000m, clocking 28:29.38 to win silver and become the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the event. He had previously won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
He then added another silver in the men’s 1500m, finishing second in a personal-best 3:36.72. Japan’s Kazuto Iizawa won gold in an Asian Games record 3:36.35, while compatriot Nagiya Mori took bronze in 3:37.92.
Gulveer’s third medal of the Games capped a remarkable campaign in Nagoya, with the distance runner making his mark across three different events.
In the women’s 800m final, India’s Pooja Olla finished seventh with a time of 2:06.72. China’s Wu Hongjiao won gold in 2:04.49.
Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath also endured a difficult outing in the men’s 800m final, finishing eighth in 1:48.27. The Indian, who had won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, could not replicate that performance in Nagoya.
Japan’s Ko Ochiai won the men’s 800m gold in 1:44.48, setting a new Asian Games record and breaking the 16-year-old mark of Iran’s Sajad Moradi, who had clocked 1:44.74.
(IANS)
