In maiden final, Babar starts strong but runs out of steam to finish eighth

Lalita Babar (bottom right) led for the first five laps. (Source: Reuters)

Lalita Babar had already taken the lead in the second lap of the 3000 metre steeplechase event of the World Athletics Championships. And the lead kept growing as her loping strides ate up the track at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing. But by the fifth of the total seven laps, the 26-year-old’s carefully measured strides began to give way. Her pace depleted as the Indian was steadily overtaken by the favourites.

Yet she still managed to finish a commendable eighth among the 15 in the finals of the event. This was the first time an Indian woman track runner had reached the finals on the world stage, and the first time since PT Usha that a track runner had finished in the Top 8 of an individual event at a global tournament.

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Kenyan Kyvin Jepkemoi won the race (9:19.11) ahead of second place Habiba Ghribi (9:19.24) and bronze medallist Gesa Krause (9:19.25). Meanwhile Babar (9:29.64) finished her race 10 seconds behind the podium placers, and three seconds behind seventh placed Virginia Nganga (9.26.21).

The drawn race strategy was evident and straightforward – Babar was to be the front runner and then hold on to the lead till the end. A 9:21 minute target is what her coach Dr Nikolai Snesarev had planned for his ward, who eventually finished the race at 9:29.64. The plan was recognised by Babar’s former coach Renu Kohli as well.

“She has endurance for the steeplechase, but now she will need to increase the speed for the finish,” she says. “There aren’t many athletes who can lead an entire race. For that you need a strong finish and Lalita still needs to improve that aspect,” Kohli adds.

Babar had set the tone on Monday after earning a spot in the finals as the fastest loser. “The timing that I posted in the heats had given me a lot of confidence. I was thinking that I should try and break the national record again. I had a look at the start list of the final and I saw that it was a very strong field,” she said later.

Babar concurs with Kohli, who was the first to train the steeplechaser in the event. “I wanted to run the race on my terms by setting my own pace and kicking off before was my decision. I tried doing that as much as possible but I got tired in the last two laps and lost the lead,” she says.

Babar goes further to claim that her assessment of her opponents prior to the race was that they were strong finishers. “I knew that they would kick hard in the last 800 metres. So I tried to open up the lead and cover as much distance as possible,” she states.

Her front-running tactic — where she led by a whole 15 metres at one point, was a calculated — if still not entirely tested — plan. “I knew that the other girls running with me were strong finishers. I planned to just go all out. I knew that the other girls, the Kenyan and the Tunisian, would really kick hard in the last 800. I tried to open up a lead, tried to cover as much distance as possible. I was fighting hard till the last lap,” she said.

The 5’6″ athlete, a versatile mid-to-long distance runner, is supported by JSW and will hope for support to be ramped up now that she’s recorded a creditable finish with a year to go for the Olympics. Nonetheless, the eighth place finish for the world number 19, in terms of 2015 timings, has upgraded her reputation to being a top-class runner.

The feat comes just two days after she broke the national record for the third time in two years, clocking 9:27.86 in the heats. “Two races of under 9:30 within the space of 52 hours is quite good. She is definitely a world class steeplechaser and would be the one to watch at the Rio Olympics next year since she will learn from today’s experience,” says commentator Rahul Pawar.

The athlete too asserts the experience of lining up against the best in the world has worked well to start her preparation for the quadrennial event next year.

“I got the chance to test myself against a very strong field. Some of the best in the world were running here today and finishing eighth among them is a huge confidence booster. I have spent quite some time observing the athletes who ran with me today. I know that there are certain aspects of my running that I have to improve on. In the final, there were a few things that came up and addressing them is a priority for me. It will definitely allow me to prepare better, physically and mentally, for what is a very important year for me,” she mentioned.

Kohli too holds the eighth placed finish in high esteem. “There’s a good chance that these would be the girls she will run against at the Olympics. Now she knows who they are and she knows how well she can perform against them and that’s a very good start to Olympic preparation,” Kohli states.

With respect to her timing though, Babar finished 10 seconds behind winner Hyvin Jepkemoi from Kenya, and two seconds short of the record she set at the heats. Kohli though is confident that the work Babar has been putting into training, under the guidance of Snesarev, will see her as a top contender for an Olympic medal. In just her ninth race since the former 10,000 metre runner formally took up the steeplechase in 2013, the 5’6″ runner started with a 10:45.07 finish, to progress to her best 9:27.86 two days ago.

“She’s a talented girl and now she has a target. She’s going to be practicing to touch 9:20 consistently. Once she does that she’ll go even lower. And she’s got an entire year ahead of her to get to that mark,” Kohli asserts.

The immediate goal however will be to increase her combination of speed and endurance. “Technically, Lalita executed the hurdles and water jump clearance very well and even maintains pace without panicking. She will come home from China with her head held high,” concludes Pawar.