India, Oct. 7 -- In 14 finals of varying statures and distances that Gulveer Singh has run this year, he has finished outside the podium only twice. Stats like these tend to paint a performance with a broad brush, but they also serve as an indicator of consistency. More so when some of those podiums have come at elite multi-sport quadrennial meets, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.

Gulveer, the most consistent Indian athlete over the past couple of years, followed his double-podium finish (10,000m silver and 5,000m bronze) at Glasgow CWG with a three-medal haul at the Asian Games in Japan.

The 28-year-old army man from Aligarh ran four races - including a 1,500m semi-final heat - in five days (Sept 25-29). The 1,500m silver st...