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Balew’s Finishing Kick Denies Gulveer Singh 10,000m Gold
Gulveer Singh raced Birhanu Balew in the 10,000-metre event at the Asian Games.
For most of the race, neither runner was clearly ahead.
Balew moved into the lead with one lap left.
Gulveer stayed close, but Balew sped up again with 250 metres remaining.
Balew finished first in 28:27.51.
Gulveer won silver in 28:29.38.
His coach thought a faster race might have helped him challenge Balew.
Gulveer was proud of the medal but still wants to improve.
He will compete in the 1,500m and 5,000m events later in the Games.
Birhanu Balew overtook the field on the final lap and won the Asian Games 10,000m in 28:27.51.
India’s Gulveer Singh finished second in 28:29.38 after staying close to Balew until the final 250 metres.
Gulveer’s coach, Scott Simmons, said a faster race might have improved his chances against Balew’s superior finishing speed.
Balew ran the final lap in about 55 seconds, compared with Gulveer’s 57 seconds.
The silver was Gulveer’s first medal in Nagoya, with the 1,500m and 5,000m still ahead.
- Who
- Birhanu Balew won ahead of India’s Gulveer Singh; Scott Simmons is Gulveer’s coach.
- What
- Balew won the Asian Games 10,000m in 28:27.51, while Gulveer took silver in 28:29.38.
- Where
- The race was held in Nagoya.
- When
- The race took place during the Asian Games; Gulveer is scheduled to run the 1,500m heats on Saturday.
- Why
- Balew produced a faster final lap and created a decisive gap with 250 metres remaining.
Faster-Race Strategy
Conserving Energy
How Gulveer could have challenged Balew
Faster-Race Strategy
Scott Simmons said Gulveer’s best chance for gold was to make the race faster, potentially toward a 27-minute finish.
Conserving Energy
Simmons was reluctant to say that pushing the pace would have changed the result because Gulveer still had the 1,500m and 5,000m ahead.
Key facts
- Winner
- Birhanu Balew
- Winning time
- 28:27.51
- Silver medallist
- Gulveer Singh, India
- Gulveer’s time
- 28:29.38
- Final-lap comparison
- Balew ran approximately 55 seconds; Gulveer ran approximately 57 seconds.
- Gulveer’s remaining events
- The 1,500m and 5,000m
- Earlier Asian Games result
- Gulveer won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Quotes
Gulveer Singh
Indian distance runner who won the 10,000m silver medal
“I have not set any target as such. I haven’t kept a point for me to reach. I just want to keep improving, climb up the ladder one step at a time and not lose any rhythm.”
indianexpress.com
“His finish is strong. He is faster than me. But I will try to challenge him.”
indianexpress.com
Scott Simmons
Coach of Indian distance runner Gulveer Singh
“The only way that Gulveer had a chance for gold was, honestly, if it was a 27-minute race.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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