Gulveer Singh Secures Historic Long-Distance Double at Glasgow Commonwealth Games
Gulveer Singh became the first Indian to claim two individual track medals in a single Commonwealth Games, taking 5000m bronze. Para-athlete Soman Rana added to the historic tally with a gold medal in the shot put F57 event.
Key takeaways
- Gulveer Singh is the first Indian to win two athletics medals in a single Commonwealth Games edition.
- Soman Rana secured gold in the men’s F57 para shot put with a 13.40m season-best throw.
- Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran won silver and bronze respectively in the men’s triple jump.
- India finished the able-bodied athletics competition with 10 medals, their second-highest tally ever.
Singh Breaks Barriers in Long-Distance Track
Gulveer Singh cemented his place in Indian sporting history on August 1, 2026, by securing a bronze medal in the men's 5000-meter final. This podium finish makes Singh the first Indian athlete to win a medal in this specific discipline at the Commonwealth Games. Furthermore, having already secured silver in the 10,000-meter event on July 28, he becomes the inaugural Indian track and field athlete to achieve a double-medal haul in a single edition of these Games.
During the final in Glasgow, Singh maintained his position within the lead pack before executing a decisive surge in the final lap. He clocked 13:24.95, narrowly edging out Kenya's Cornelius Kemboi by 0.04 seconds. Kenya's Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang claimed gold in 13:23.61, while Australian Ky Robinson took silver at 13:24.70. While Singh’s performance was slower than his national record of 12:59.77 and his season best of 13:03.93, his tactical execution ensured the historic result.
Dominance in Para-Athletics and Field Events
The final day of competition also saw significant success in the para-athletics segment. Soman Rana, a 2022 Asian Para Games silver medalist, secured the gold medal in the men’s F57 shot put. Rana recorded a season-best distance of 13.40 meters to lead the field. India achieved a one-two finish in this event as Shubham Juyal claimed silver with a 13.28-meter throw. Cedric Azamdzi of Cameroon took the bronze.
In the men’s triple jump, Indian athletes occupied two spots on the podium. National record holder Praveen Chithravel earned silver with a jump of 16.58 meters. He was followed closely by Selva Prabhu Thirumaran, who marked his first major international breakthrough by taking bronze with a 16.52-meter effort. Jordan Scott of Jamaica won the event with a 16.72-meter leap.
Mixed Results Across the Track
Despite the podium successes, other Indian athletes faced stiffer competition. In the women’s 10,000-meter race walk, Priyanka Goswami finished seventh with a season-best time of 45:53.93, while teammate Ravina faced disqualification. The men's pole vault saw Dev Kumar Meena finish fourth (5.30m) and Kuldeep Kumar take sixth (5.10m). The mixed 4x400m relay team also finished sixth, clocking 3:20.32.
India concluded the able-bodied athletics competition in Glasgow with 10 medals—five silver and five bronze. This represents the second-most successful performance for the nation’s track and field contingent, trailing only the 12-medal haul achieved during the 2010 New Delhi Games.
Source: The Hindu — Sport
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