New Delhi, September 29, 2026

Indian distance runner Gulveer Singh completed a memorable campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, becoming the first Indian athlete in 40 years to win three medals at a single edition of the Games. His bronze in the men’s 5000m on Tuesday added to the silver medals he had already secured in the 10,000m and 1500m events.

At the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, Gulveer remained with the leading group through much of the 5000m final before finishing third in 13:32.75. Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew claimed gold in 13:30.79, while Japan’s Yamaguchi Tomonori took silver with a time of 13:31.43. Gulveer’s achievement made him the first Indian since P.T. Usha, who won four medals at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, to secure at least three medals at one edition.

Gulveer had earlier earned silver in the men’s 10,000m after clocking 28:29.38, becoming the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the event following his bronze at Hangzhou 2023. He then added another silver in the 1500m with a personal-best time of 3:36.72. Japan’s Kazuto Iizawa won the 1500m gold in an Asian Games record of 3:36.35.

India, however, missed the podium in the 800m finals. Pooja Olla finished seventh in the women’s event with 2:06.72, where China’s Wu Hongjiao won gold in 2:04.49. Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath placed eighth in the men’s final in 1:48.27, while Japan’s Ko Ochiai won gold in an Asian Games record of 1:44.48.

With podium finishes across three different distances, Gulveer’s performances marked a standout chapter for India’s athletics campaign in Nagoya. His 5000m bronze completed a three-medal run that also ended a four-decade wait for an Indian athlete to reach the podium three times at a single Asian Games.