India's Parul Chaudhary did a double in the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou as she followed her Silver medal in women's 3000m steeplechase with a historic Gold in women's 5000m race final as she left behind Japan's Ririka Hironaka. She finished her race in 15:14.75 timing leaving Hironaka stunned as she moved past her in the last few metres swiftly from her left as she knew she had conserved that energy for that one final push. This was India's 14th Gold in the ongoing Asian Games and the tally now stands at 64.
Hironaka registered a time of 15:15.34 while Kazakhstan's Caroline Kipkirui finished third with a timing of 15:23.12 and clinched the Bronze medal which is her season's best. Another Indian in the event, Ankita, finished fifth with a 15:33.03 timing as she registered her personal best.
This has been a fruitful year for Parul, who won a Gold in the 3000m steeplechase and a silver in the 5000m event in Bangkok. Now, she has bagged both of those medals in Asiad too, just that the events have been swapped.
It has been a record-breaking show for the track and field athletes in the ongoing Asian Games as they have raked up as many as 22 medals so far, equalling the tally by the shooters. Parul's Gold was the third in athletics for India after Avinash Sable (men's 3000m steeplechase) and Tajinderpal Singh Toor (men's shotput). On the same day, a few minutes later, veteran javelin athlete Annu Rani won a first-ever Gold medal in her career to make it four for the track and field athletes.
With men's 5000m, 4x400m relays (men and women) and men's javelin among others left, there are a few more Gold medals expected in track and field events.
