Parul fought until the final stretch of the 5000m race to secure another medal for India. Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi won the gold medal after clocking 15:10.18, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka took silver in 15:11.65.

Parul finished the race in 15:14.61, just 1.46 seconds behind Tanaka, completing a demanding three-day run that included three athletics finals.

Parul fights until finish line for second bronze

The women’s 5000m final was closely contested, with Parul staying in contention for a podium finish until the closing stages.

Yavi eventually pulled clear to claim the gold medal, while Tanaka finished second. Parul maintained her challenge and crossed the finish line in third to secure her second bronze medal of the Games.

The latest medal adds to what has been an intense Asian Games campaign for the Indian distance runner.

Parul had already competed in the women’s 1500m final on September 26. She finished fourth in that event with a time of 4:09.46, narrowly missing out on a podium place.

The following day, she returned to the track for the women’s 3000m steeplechase final and produced a major performance. Parul clocked 9:08.67 to win bronze and set a new national record.

She then completed her three-event schedule by competing in the 5000m final on Monday.

Three finals in three consecutive days

Parul’s schedule at Aichi-Nagoya has been particularly demanding, with three finals taking place on three successive days.

Her campaign began with the 1500m final on September 26. Despite finishing fourth, she remained in contention for medals across the longer-distance events.

On September 27, she lined up in the 3000m steeplechase and secured bronze with a national-record performance of 9:08.67.

Less than 24 hours later, she was back on the track for the 5000m final.

The 5000m bronze marked her second podium finish of the Games and underlined her ability to compete across multiple endurance events despite the demanding schedule.

Parul’s performances have also added to India’s medal haul in athletics, which has emerged as an important contributor to the country’s overall tally at the continental event.

India adds more athletics medals

Parul’s bronze was one of several notable athletics results for India on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Vithya Ramraj won bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles. She clocked a personal best of 54.75 seconds, matching the national record previously shared by her and legendary Indian athlete PT Usha.

Gulveer Singh also secured his second silver medal of the Games. He finished runner-up in the men’s 1500m with a personal best of 3:36.72.

Japan’s Kazuto Iizawa won the men’s 1500m gold and set a new Games record in the process.

The results added to India’s growing medal tally and highlighted the depth of the country’s athletics contingent at Aichi-Nagoya.

India reach 42 medals

With Parul Chaudhary’s second bronze, India’s overall medal tally rose to 42 at the Asian Games, comprising four gold medals, 18 silver medals and 20 bronze medals.

India were placed 12th in the overall medal standings at the time of the result.

Athletics accounted for 16 of India’s medals at the continental event, making it one of the country’s major medal-producing disciplines.

For Parul, the back-to-back bronze medals represent the culmination of a physically demanding three days. Her fourth-place finish in the 1500m was followed by a national-record bronze in the steeplechase and another bronze in the 5000m.

A memorable Asian Games campaign

Parul’s Aichi-Nagoya campaign has demonstrated her versatility as an endurance athlete. Competing in the 1500m, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m within three consecutive days required her to manage a demanding racing schedule.

She narrowly missed the podium in the 1500m before responding with two bronze medals in the steeplechase and 5000m.

The 3000m steeplechase performance was particularly significant as she established a new national record with her time of 9:08.67. Her 5000m bronze then provided another podium finish as she held on in a closely fought final.

Parul’s two medals have further strengthened India’s athletics tally at the Asian Games and added another notable chapter to her international career.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News Karnataka staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)