Parul Chaudhary signals medal ambitions with blazing Shanghai run
India’s ace middle-distance runner Parul Chaudhary kicked off her season in the 3000m steeplechase event with the second-best-ever Indian timing at the Shanghai Diamond League last week. The 31-year-old from Uttar Pradesh clocked 9 minutes 12.84 seconds, slightly slower than her personal best and national record of 9:12.46. “The idea was to record a personal best in the season opener. I missed it by a whisker, but overall I am happy with the race and how my season has started,” Parul told The Indian Express in an interview. “The performance has set my course for the season with many international competitions lined up.” Parul finished seventh in a distinguished field that had Tokyo Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda and reigning World champion Faith Cherotich of Kenya. The African duo produced a dramatic photo finish with experienced Chemutai prevailing to win the title. When asked how much the competition helped, Parul said that it is always advantageous to run in a world-class field that pushes her to achieve better timings. “The advantage of competing with …








