Gulveer emulates historic Indian athletics feat with Asian Games hat-trick

India’s Gulveer Singh became the first Indian since P.T. Usha in 1986 to win three individual athletics medals at a single Asian Games after taking bronze in the men’s 5,000 metres in Nagoya on Tuesday. Gulveer finished in 13 minutes 32.75 seconds, adding the bronze to silver medals in the 10,000m and 1,500m.

He said after the race that he had not known the historical significance of the achievement. Usha won four individual medals at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, including gold in the 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles and silver in the 100m. Her relay gold is excluded from the comparison because it was a team medal.

Gulveer’s campaign began with silver in the 10,000m in 28:29.38. He then set a personal best of 3:36.72 in the 1,500m before completing the medal hat-trick in the 5,000m. The result added to a breakthrough year.

At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Gulveer won silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two track medals at one Commonwealth Games. He entered the Asian Games as the reigning Asian champion in both the 5,000m and 10,000m after winning those events at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships. He also holds India’s national records in both distances.

Gulveer said the Athletics Federation of India supported a six-month training period in Colorado Springs with coach Scott Simmons after the Commonwealth Games. He said his next priorities were qualification for the world championships and Olympics. Vithya Ramraj also completed a three-medal haul in Nagoya, winning relay gold after silver in the mixed relay and bronze in the individual 400m hurdles.

Her hurdles time broke Usha’s national record in that event.