World Athletics Championship: Parul sets national record in 3000m steeplechase; men's 4x400 relay team finishes fifth

India's Parul Chaudhary and the men's 4x400m relay team set new benchmarks at the World Athletics Championships here on Sunday, coming up with their best performances.

Long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary produced a brilliant effort to set a new national record in the women's 3000m steeplechase.

Parul clocked 9 minutes 15.51 seconds on Sunday to finish 11th overall. She improved on the national record of 9:19.76 held by Lalita Babar of Maharashtra, who set it in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

With her timing of 9:16.51, Parul also qualified for the Paris Olympic Games next year.

The Indian men's 4x400m relay team of Muhammad Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammad Ajmal and Rajesh Ramesh came with a lion-hearted effort as it dipped under three minutes once again, finishing fifth overall in 2 minutes 59.92 seconds. 

The quartet which had gone neck-and-neck with the mighty United States in the semifinal heat and finishing second in 2:29.05, could not manage to improve on that effort in the final.

But that would not have mattered as the United States team of Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood, Justin Robinson and Rai Benjamin clocked a world-leading 2:57.31 to win the gold medal. Norwood and Rai Benjamin (anchor) came up with brilliant efforts of 4.01 and 44.02 respectively that really sealed the gold medal for them.

France bagged the silver medal in 2:58.45 -- a national record -- while Great Britain claimed bronze with a timing of 2:58.71 -- their season best. Jamaica were fourth in 2:59.34.

The Indian had the second-best time in the heats, setting an Asian Record. 

Muhammad Anas had a decent start and handed the baton to Amoj Jacob in fifth position. Ajmal took the baton in 7th place and surged back to fifth. In the anchor leg, Ramesh could only maintain the fifth position despite a valiant effort.   

In a fast women's 3000m steeplechase race, Bahrain's Winfred Yavi finally landed the big one, taking gold in 8:54.29 -- the fifth-fastest performance of all time.

Winfred, after finishing just outside of the medals in 2019 and again in 2022, ran away from world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech, who held on for silver in 8:58.98. Faith Cherotich made it a second medal for Kenya, taking bronze in 9:00.69.

For the first time ever at a World Championships, six women finished inside 9:10.