How did 50km race walker Gurpreet Singh qualify for the Olympics?
The 50km race walker is India's sole representative in the event
India have sent a 26-member track and field contingent to Tokyo 2020 and one of them is Gurpreet Singh who is the only participant in the 50 km race walking event.
In the national championship held in Ranchi earlier in February, this year he grabbed the first position after completing the race in 3:59:42. Incidentally, this is personal best as well. Previously the army man had clinched a silver medal in the 50km event at the 7th National Race Walking Championship.
How did Singh qualify for the Olympics?
The entry standard for the men’s 50km race walk was 3:50:00. The target number was 60 athletes (maximum three per nation) and 38 athletes had met the entry standard, leaving 22 places for athletes who qualify by world ranking.
The athlete is ranked 104 in the world and he was one of them who qualified by the world ranking quota. His highest-ever ranking is 80.
His progress over the years
Singh has been participating in official 50km race events since 2012. In Saransk, Russia he timed 4:21:19 on May 13, 2012.
However, in the last two years, he has significantly managed to reduce his time. In 2020, he clocked 4:09:44 which is around 12 minutes less than his first run. He improved further in 2021 and managed to break into the under-the-four-hour mark (3:59:42), which should provide him with a psychological boost in Tokyo 2020.
When will Gurpreet Singh be in action at Tokyo 2020?
The 50km race walking event will take place on August 6.
Where will the event take place?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) have selected the Sapporo Odori Park in Hokkaido as the venue for the marathon and race walk events.
The venue spans around 7.8 hectares and has been used in the past to host Hokkaido Marathon.
What are Gurpreet Singh's chances in Tokyo?
Given Singh's timing, it will be hard for the Indian to finish on the podium. Japan's Masatora Kawano qualified for the event in 3:36:45 which is the best qualifying time. In fact, the last athlete to qualify through the entry standard is Rui Chen and he has a timing of 3:49:58, almost 10 minutes faster than the Indian.
If Singh manages to sneak in the top 30 athletes it will be considered a success for him.
Yohann Diniz of France holds the world record with a timing of 3:32:33. Whereas, the Olympic record is held by Australia's Jared Tallent (3:36:53).
In 2016, India's Sandeep Kumar participated in the event and finished 35h after completing in 4:07:55. Matej Toth of Slovakia won gold in Rio after timing 3:40:58.