My fingers froze at the tips: Parul Chaudhary describes the tough conditions in the CWG

ByTech Word News

Indian athletes arrived at the Commonwealth Games after qualifying through competitions held at the height of midsummer, where temperatures often soared to 40 degrees Celsius. However, in Glasgow they had to deal with conditions at the opposite end of the spectrum, with persistent rain and cold weather making the competition difficult.

India’s top steeplechase runner Parul Chaudhary felt the impact of the conditions during the women’s 3000m steeplechase final on Wednesday, finishing fifth as rain continued to fall in Glasgow.

The cold was so intense that Chaudhary said she struggled to feel her fingers inside the spikes as she ran.

“For steeplechase conditions, the weather was quite challenging. The weather was cold. When I ran, my fingers were frozen at the tips, so I couldn’t run,” Parul said after the race.

Commonwealth Games 2026 July 29: Highlights | Complete schedule

The Indian was hoping to improve on her personal best, but the conditions made it difficult to achieve that goal.

“I wanted to improve my best timing but there were no conditions. Now I am ready for the Asian Games,” she added.

The extreme weather is a stark contrast for India’s athletes, many of whom have qualified for the Commonwealth Games through domestic competitions held in the Indian summer heat.

However, there is still another opportunity for Chaudhary to make his mark in Glasgow.

The Indian will return to action in the women’s 5000m final, where she will look to put her steeplechase disappointment behind her and end the Commonwealth Games on a stronger note.

INDIA SCHEDULE FOR JULY 30 AT CWG 2026 (ALL TOO)

  • 2.40pm: Athletics – Tejaswin Shankar in the men’s 100m decathlon
  • 2.55 pm: Athletics – Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh in men’s javelin qualifying
  • 3.20pm: Athletics – Tejaswin Shankar in the long jump in the men’s decathlon
  • 4.55pm: Athletics – Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu in Men’s Triple Jump Qualification
  • 17:07: Track cycling – Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam, David Beckham Elkotohchoongo and Rojit Singh Yanglem in men’s team sprint qualifying
  • 5.10pm: Athletics – Tejaswin Shankar in men’s decathlon shot put
  • 5.40pm: Athletics – Vishal TK in men’s 400m semi-final
  • 18:30: Weightlifting – Martina Devi Maibam in the women’s over 86kg final (medal event)
  • 19:30: Bowls – India (Dinesh Kumar, Navneet Singh) Vs. Botswana in men’s doubles section play
  • 8:55 PM: Bowls – Nayanmoni Saikia Vs. Emma Firyana Saroji of Malaysia in the women’s singles divisional game
  • 10.50pm: Track cycling – Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam, David Beckham Elkotohchoongo and Rojit Singh Yanglem in the men’s team sprint final (subject to qualification)
  • 11pm: Weightlifting – Lovepreet Singh in Men’s 110kg Final (Medal Event)
  • 11.30pm: Athletics – Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill in Men’s Shot Put Final (Medal Event)
  • 11.37pm: Athletics – Animesh Kujur in men’s 200m semi-final
  • 11.38pm: Athletics – Tejaswin Shankar in the high jump in the men’s decathlon
  • 1.10am: Athletics – Seema Kaliramna and Nidhi Rani in women’s discus final (medal event)
  • 1.30am: Athletics – Tejaswin Shankar in the men’s 400m decathlon
  • 1.48am: Athletics – Parul Chaudhary in women’s 5000m final (medal event)

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

Jul 30, 2026 12:37 PM IST