India’s Gulveer Singh continued his spectacular run at the Asian Games 2026 by winning bronze in the men’s 5000m final on Tuesday, completing a remarkable hat-trick of podium finishes in Aichi-Nagoya. Gulveer clocked 13:32.75 to finish third, adding another medal to the silver medals he had already won in the men’s 1500m and 10,000m events.
Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew claimed the gold medal in 13:30.79, while Japan’s Tomonori Yamaguchi finished second with 13:31.43. Gulveer stayed within touching distance of the leading duo and produced a strong finish to secure another place on the podium.
Gulveer Joins Elite Indian List
The 5000m bronze made Gulveer only the second Indian man to win three track and field medals at a single edition of the Asian Games.
The first was Lavy Pinto, who achieved the feat at the inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951. Pinto won gold in both the 100m and 200m before adding silver in the 4x100m relay.
Gulveer's achievement also adds to India's rich history of multi-medal performances in athletics at the continental Games. PT Usha famously won four gold medals and a silver at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, while middle-distance runner KM Beenamol collected three medals at the 2002 Busan edition.
Three Medals In A Single Asian Games
Gulveer entered the 2026 Asian Games as India's premier distance runner and delivered consistently across three events.
He first secured silver in the men's 1500m, before adding another silver in the 10,000m. His bronze in the 5000m then completed the hat-trick.
His latest medal came in a tightly contested final. Balew's winning time of 13:30.79 was only 1.96 seconds quicker than Gulveer's 13:32.75, with Yamaguchi splitting the two at 13:31.43.
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Another Milestone In A Breakthrough Year
Gulveer's Asian Games success adds to what has already been a landmark period in his career.
The Indian distance runner, who holds the national record in the men's 5000m, won a historic bronze at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men's 5000m.
He also claimed gold at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, further establishing himself among India's leading distance runners.