Sandeep Kumar clocks personal best time to clinch bronze in 10,000m race walk at Commonwealth Games 2022
Sandeep Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the men's 10,000m race walk.
India's Sandeep Kumar won a bronze medal in the men's 10,000m race walk final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Sunday. Sandeep clocked 38:49:21m – which is also his personal best – to secure a podium finish in Birmingham. Canada's Evan Dunfee clinched a gold medal with a Games record (38:36:37), while Australia's Declan Tingay got a silver. Amit, another Indian participating in the race, finished at the 9th spot with his season best timings of 43:04:97.
The 36-year-old Indian race-walker showed a brilliant display of fight and grit en route to his bronze medal. Sandeep made a bright start to the final, leading the 10-men group after the first 1,000m in the race as he clocked 3:50:06. However, he dropped to three and remained in that position for the next 2000m before he reclaimed the top spot.
At the half-way mark in the race, Sandeep remained first before dropping two positions again at 6000m point. Over the next 4000m distance, Sandeep continued to see-saw between 3rd and 2nd position before eventually being overtaken by Australia's Tingay towards the ending phase of the race.
Sandeep has earlier represented India at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, and currently holds the national records for both 50km and 20km race walking.
This was India's 18th bronze and 46th medal overall at the Commonwealth Games 2022. India currently stand at fifth spot in the medal tally, and had a medal rush on the penultimate day of the edition.
Indian boxers Nitu Ghanghas and Amit Panghal opened India's tally on Day 8 with two gold medals, while Indian women's hockey team clinched a bronze after defeating New Zealand in a thrilling shoout-out. Annu Rani also won a bronze medal in women's javelin throw final, while Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobaker created history, clinching gold and silver medals in men's triple jump event.
