View source for Gopal Saini

{{short description|Indian middle-distance runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Gopal Saini
| image = Gopal saini cropped.jpg
| national_team = {{IND}}
| birth_date = {{birth year|1954}}
| birth_place = [[Rajasthan]], India
| sport = [[Middle distance runner]]
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1981 Asian Athletics Championships|1981 Tokyo]]|5000 m}}
{{MedalSilver|1981 Tokyo|3000 m st.}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1979 Asian Athletics Championships|1979 Tokyo]]|5000 m}}
{{MedalBronze|1979 Tokyo|3000 m st.}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Games|Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1978 Asian Games|1978 Bangkok]]|3000 m st.}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1982 Asian Games|1982 new delhi]]|3000 m st.}}
}}

'''Gopal Saini''' (born 1954) is a former Indian [[middle-distance runner]]. He held the national record in 3000 meters [[Steeplechase (athletics)|Steeplechase]] which was unbeaten for 37 years. Saini set the 3000m Steeplechase record (8:30.88) in Tokyo,Japan on 5 June 1981 which was then broken by Avinash Sable by clocking 8:29.80 at the 2018 National Open Championships in [[Bhubaneswar]]. Sable set a new [[List of Indian records in athletics|national record]] of 8:11.20 in August 2022 at the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Birmingham]].Saini represented in 1980 22nd olympic games in [[Soviet Union]] for men's 5000m race.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418085445/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/gopal-saini-1.html]

He hails from [[Rajasthan]]. He was conferred [[Arjuna award]] in 1981 for his achievements.
He practiced on [[terrains]] for strength of legs. He currently works in SBBJ and also owns a restaurant in [[Jaipur]].

== References ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070430022814/http://www.indianathletics.org/RECORDS/sr-indianrecords.htm Indian Records]

==External links==
*{{sports links}}

{{Footer Asian Champions men's 5000 metres}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saini, Gopal}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Indian male steeplechase runners]]
[[Category:Athletes from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for India]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Asian Games athletes for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1978 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]

{{India-athletics-bio-stub}}