Babar 1st Indian in Olympic Athletics final in 32 years

Indian steeplechase sprinter Lalita Babar became the first Indian in 32 years to qualify for the finals of an athletic event at the Olympics.
•    She qualified for the finals of the 3,000-metre steeplechase event on Saturday, after registering a new national record of 9 minutes and 19.76 seconds. 
•    Lalita will compete for a medal in the final on Monday.
•    Lalita clocked a national mark of 9 minutes, 19.76 seconds while finishing fourth in heat 2 and progressed to the final, scheduled on August 15, on the basis of being among the fastest six from the rest who did not directly qualify from the three preliminary heats.
•    Lalita, who had won the bronze medal in the event in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, two years ago, in fact finished with the seventh-best time in the heats with the new national record to boot.