Parul Chaudhary edged out the field to capture bronze, finishing 9:08.67 behind Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi (9:04.36) and Kazakhstan’s Norah Jeruto Tanui (9:06.82). Yavi’s win and Tanui’s silver were strong, but Parul’s time also eclipsed her own best and set a new Indian record for the event.
The race turned in the final 400 metres. Parul, who had been trailing for most of the 28‑lap run, launched a blistering sprint over the last barrier that left Yavi and Tanui scrambling to keep pace.
Ankita, in her own right, finished fourth with a personal best of 9:19.24, narrowly missing the podium but adding another milestone to her season.
With the steeplechase now settled, India will turn its sights to the remaining track events, hoping to add more medals before the Games close on Sunday.