Mumbai: Parul Chaudhary, India's top female middle-distance runner, has kicked off her season on a positive note. At the Shanghai Diamond League, she clocked 9:12.84 in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing 7th in a field featuring Olympic and world champions. This timing is just shy of her national record and below the AFI's qualifying standard for the Commonwealth Games.
Parul has set her sights on the CWG, where she aims to deliver her best. She has never competed at the CWG, which provides a greater test in track and field from an Indian viewpoint. Peruth Chemutai, a 2022 Birmingham CWG bronze medallist, is a top contender in the steeplechase event.
Parul, a 2023 World Championships finalist, expects tough competition at the CWG but is confident in her abilities. She will focus on the steeplechase event at the CWG and double up for the 5,000m at the Asian Games in September-October.
Parul has been training hard to peak at both Games. She has been camping at SAI Bengaluru and has undergone high-altitude training in Ooty to work on her endurance. She is injury-free now and is feeling fit and raring to go for the season ahead.
