Day 10 of the Commonwealth Games 2026 turned into another memorable outing for India, with distance runner Gulveer Singh clinching a bronze medal in the men's 5000m and etching his name into the record books. While Indian boxers kept delivering medals in the ring, Gulveer made sure the track events did not lag behind. With this podium finish, he became the first Indian athlete ever to win two athletics medals at a single edition of the Commonwealth Games.
Third-place finish in the 5000m
The reigning Asian champion clocked 13 minutes 24.95 seconds to finish third in the 5000m final. Just days earlier, on July 28, Gulveer had already claimed a silver medal in the 10000m at the same Games. Winning medals in two separate distance events at one edition is what makes his achievement historic for Indian athletics.
Gold and silver went to Kenya and Australia
Kenya's Matthew Kipchumba Kipsang topped the 5000m podium with a time of 13 minutes 23.61 seconds to win gold. Australia's Ky Robinson took the silver medal, finishing just ahead of Gulveer, who settled for bronze after a closely fought race.
A 28 year old with national records to his name
Gulveer Singh, 28, already holds the national records in both the 5000m and 10000m events. He had earlier won a bronze medal in the 10000m at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, a result that underlined his steady rise on the international stage.
Building on his Asian Games form
Before this Commonwealth Games campaign, Gulveer had also impressed at the Asian Games 2022, where he won a bronze medal in the 10000m event. He then took that performance a notch higher, converting it into a silver medal in the 10000m at the Commonwealth Games. Following it up with a medal in the 5000m as well is being seen as one of the golden chapters of his career.
First time since 1986 without Uganda and Kenya on the men's 10000m podium
The men's 10000m podium at these Games did not feature athletes from Uganda or Kenya, a first since 1986. African nations have dominated long distance running for decades, but this time Gulveer Singh broke that pattern and put India on the podium, creating a new piece of history in the process.
