Parul Chaudhary Falls Short of National Record at Shanghai Diamond League 2026

Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary narrowly missed breaking her national record in the women's 3000 m steeplechase at the Shanghai Diamond League 2026. Clocking a time of 9:12.84, she finished seventh, just 0.38 seconds shy of her record. Although she met the qualification standard for the Asian Games, her selection depends on the Athletics Federation of India. The event was won by Uganda's Peruth Chemutai, setting a new meeting record. This marks the beginning of the Diamond League season, with more competitions lined up.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 17, 2026, 11:05 IST

Parul Chaudhary's Performance Overview

Indian runner Parul Chaudhary narrowly missed breaking her own national record in the women's 3000 m steeplechase during the Shanghai Diamond League 2026 held on Saturday. She clocked a time of 9:12.84, marking the start of her competitive season, and finished in seventh place, according to reports from Olympics.com.

Close to the Record

Parul was just 0.38 seconds away from her national record, which she set while winning gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi last year. Her performance also surpassed the Athletics Federation of India's (AFI) minimum qualification standard of 9:47.00 for the upcoming Asian Games 2026, scheduled to take place in Japan from September to October. However, her final selection for the Indian team will depend on the AFI, and meeting the qualification standard does not ensure her participation.

Race Results

The race was won by Uganda's Peruth Chemutai, a two-time Olympic medallist, who set a meeting record with a time of 8:51.47. Kenya's Faith Cherotich, the reigning world champion and bronze medallist from Paris 2024, finished just behind in 8:51.48, while Tunisia's Marwa Bouzayani secured third place with a time of 8:58.09.

Parul's Competitive Journey

This event marked Parul's first competition since the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year, where she placed ninth in her heat with a time of 9:22.24. It was also her third appearance in the Diamond League, having previously finished sixth in Doha with a personal best of 9:13.39 and 16th in Eugene with a time of 9:46.74.

Upcoming Diamond League Events

The Shanghai meet serves as the inaugural event of the 2026 Diamond League season, with the next competition set to take place in Xiamen next weekend. Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav, who previously outperformed Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra with a fourth-place finish at the World Championships last year, is scheduled to make his Diamond League debut on June 4 in Rome.