Scott Simmons Sets Sights on LA 2028 as Indian Distance Runners Make Major Gains

Gulveer Singh, Seema Kumari and Sawan Barwal, all medal winners in Nagoya, have trained under Simmons at the high-altitude training base in Colorado Springs, where they have been part of a group featuring international-level distance runners.

Gulveer emerged as one of India’s leading performers at the Games, winning three medals in five days. He secured silver in both the 10,000m and 1,500m, besides taking bronze in the 5,000m. His Asian Games campaign followed another strong showing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he won silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m.

Simmons said the primary focus of Gulveer’s preparation had been the 10,000m, with that work also helping him compete effectively in the shorter 1,500m.

“The plan proved to be very successful,” Simmons told SAI Media. “We obviously prepared 100% for the 10,000m. And Gulveer gave his best challenge, ending up with the silver. We thought that was his best event, but it also prepared him for the 1500m as a byproduct.”

Gulveer’s three-medal haul marked another step forward from his bronze in the 10,000m at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Simmons attributed much of that progress to consistency in training and the support provided to the athletes.

The American coach recalled first watching India’s distance runners during a visit to Bengaluru in early 2022. He described the discipline at the time as a “sleeping giant”, but believed the athletes needed sustained backing and sufficient time to develop.

“We just needed the time and the support from the Indian government, from Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), and other stakeholders to give these athletes the opportunity to do the correct training, give them time to develop and continue the consistency,” Simmons said.

The Athletics Federation of India, backed by the Union sports ministry through the ACTC programme, subsequently supported an extended training stint in the United States for athletes including Gulveer. The six-month period leading into Nagoya enabled him to maintain continuity in Colorado Springs while training and competing alongside runners performing at a high international level.

Simmons believes this kind of long-term approach is particularly important in distance running, where athletes need sustained development rather than short-term preparation before major competitions.

“I think in the past, there was no consistency. There was always a late rush to get fitness for Asian Championships and Asian Games, whereas in distance running in particular, it’s like building a house. You’re always building the house. And when you’re not building the house, then you’re tearing down the house,” Simmons said.

“Gulveer’s done such a good job of continuing one step after another after another.”

The progress was also evident in the marathon, where Sawan Barwal produced one of the most significant performances of India’s campaign. He won silver in Nagoya in 2:11:37, improving his own national record and ending India’s 44-year wait for an Asian Games medal in the marathon.

Simmons pointed to the experience Barwal has gained by training alongside established marathoners in Colorado Springs, while acknowledging that the young runner remains relatively new to the event.

“He’s been able to do training with athletes on that level,” Simmons said.

“He does have some struggles because he’s still young and he’s still new to the distance. But this was a very good build-up. It’ll be better the next time, for sure. He can make further gains through more marathon-specific preparation and hopes that progression can eventually lead to qualification for the Beijing World Championships.”

Seema Kumari added another medal to India’s distance-running haul by winning bronze in the women’s 10,000m. Her podium finish was India’s first Asian Games medal in the event since 2010.

For Simmons, the success of the Indian runners also underlines the importance of a group training environment, where athletes can learn from one another while being pushed to improve.

“When we all pull together and we train together, then everybody improves and everybody can get to this next level. And we saw that obviously with the Indians’ performance here in Nagoya,” he said.

With the Asian Games now providing another benchmark for the programme, Simmons has turned his attention towards the next Olympic cycle. He said the Indian athletes training in Colorado Springs increasingly believe they can reach the qualifying standards for Los Angeles, even though those standards are becoming increasingly difficult.

“They believe they can qualify and qualifying is more difficult than it’s ever been,” Simmons said. “But again, they’re in a training group with others that have their eyes set on it also.”

Simmons also stressed the importance of developing the next generation alongside the current group. He suggested bringing two to four younger Indian athletes into the long-distance programme so they can benefit from the same consistency and extended preparation that has helped the current crop make progress.

The performances of Gulveer, Barwal and Seema in Nagoya have given India’s distance-running programme another significant boost. For Simmons, the task now is to build on that progress through the remainder of the Olympic cycle, with Los Angeles 2028 emerging as the next major target.