Gulveer Singh won three medals in three races at the Asian Games, a feat only one Indian had achieved before. Here is why his treble is historic.

The 28-year-old Army man won silver in the 10,000m, silver in the 1500m with a personal best of 3:36.72, and bronze in the 5000m in 13:32.75. All three finals were run within days of each other.

Distance trebles are brutally hard. Each race demands a different mix of speed and endurance, and recovery time between finals is short. Most athletes specialise in one event to protect their legs.

Gulveer is now only the second Indian after P.T. Usha to win medals in three events at a single Asian Games. Usha won four medals at Seoul 1986, a record that still stands.

The treble also boosts India’s athletics standing in Asia. With the World Championships next season, Gulveer has announced himself as a genuine medal contender on the global stage too.