Shanghai Diamond League: Sudha Singh smashes 3000m steeplechase national record

Sudha clocked 9 minute 26.55 seconds.

Shanghai: Rio Olympics-bound athlete Sudha Singh on Saturday shattered the national record in women's 3000m steeplechase event to finish eighth in the second leg of the prestigious Diamond League Meet here.

Sudha, who had qualified for Rio Games during the Federation Cup National Athletics Championships in New Delhi last month, clocked 9 minute 26.55 seconds to better the earlier national record of 9:27.09 held by her training-mate and another Olympics-bound athlete Lalita Babar.

Reigning Asian champion Babar also took part in the race today and stood 13th with a disappointing timing of 9:43.30 among 14 women who finished the race at this Chinese city.

Babar, who had finished a creditable eighth at the World Athletics Championships last year, had created the earlier national record while winning the gold in the Federation Cup in which Sudha had finished second to book a Rio Games berth.

2015 World Championships gold-medallist Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi of Kenya won the race in a personal best timing of 9:07.42 while 2014 Asian Games champion, Kenya-born Bahrain athlete Ruth Jebet finished second in a new continental record timing of 9:15.98.

2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Assefa Sofia of Ethiopia was third in 9:21.07 in the top class field.