On the third day of the Asian Athletics Championship 2025 in Gumi, South Korea, Indian athletes delivered a spectacular performance, smashing records that stood for decades. On May 29, India’s fastest female hurdler Jyoti Yaraji, steeplechase star Avinash Sable, and the women’s 4x400 meter relay team claimed gold medals, making history and bringing immense pride to the nation.

Avinash Sable kicked off the day with a stellar performance in the men’s steeplechase event, clocking an impressive 8:20.92 to win gold. His victory marked the first time in 36 years that an Indian man has won gold in this event at the Asian Championships. The last gold was won by Dina Ram in 1989, while Harbel Singh was the pioneer gold medalist back in 1975. Sable expressed confidence after his win, saying, “I was confident of winning the gold medal because I was the best in this field.”

Indian hurdler Jyoti Yaraji stormed to gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, finishing in 12.96 seconds and breaking a 27-year-old championship record (previously 12.99 seconds). Jyoti also became part of an elite group of five athletes who have successfully defended their gold in this event at the Asian Championships. Her personal best remains 12.78 seconds, which is also the national record. She said after the race, “It was a good day. I am happy to break the 13-second barrier this season.”

The Indian women’s 4x400m relay team — Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajita, and Subha Venkatesan — triumphed with a time of 3:34.18, defeating Vietnam and ending India’s 12-year wait for gold in this event. Their victory marked a hat-trick of gold medals for India on this day.