American coach Scott Simmons says India's landmark medal haul in distance running at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya has set the stage for a credible push at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with athletes training at his high-altitude base in Colorado Springs, USA delivering some of the most significant performances in Indian endurance athletics in decades.

A Historic Medal Haul in Nagoya

Gulveer Singh was the standout performer, competing in four events across five days and returning with three medals — silver in the 10,000m and 1,500m, and bronze in the 5,000m. The feat marked a clear progression from his bronze in the 10,000m at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Gulveer had also impressed earlier at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, winning silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m.

Sawan Barwal produced what many consider the single most historic result of the campaign, winning silver in the men's marathon with a time of 2:11:37 — a new national record that ended India's 44-year wait for an Asian Games marathon medal. Meanwhile, Seema Kumari claimed bronze in the women's 10,000m, India's first Asian Games medal in that event since 2010.

The Colorado Springs Blueprint

All three athletes have trained under Simmons at the high-altitude facility in Colorado Springs, where they benefit from sustained preparation alongside international-level distance runners. Simmons said Gulveer's programme was structured primarily around the 10,000m, with that base naturally feeding into his shorter-event performances.

'The plan proved to be very successful,' Simmons said in a video conference ahead of his flight back from Nagoya. '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.'

Simmons first visited Bengaluru in early 2022 and described Indian distance running at the time as a 'sleeping giant' — talented but lacking the sustained support and development time required to compete at the highest level. He credited the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and the Union sports ministry's ACTC programme for backing an extended training stint in the United States. A six-month block before Nagoya allowed Gulveer, in particular, to maintain continuity in Colorado Springs while competing alongside athletes of a high international standard.

Consistency Over Crash Camps

Simmons identified the shift from last-minute preparation to year-round consistency as the defining change behind India's results. '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,' he said.

He praised Gulveer for embodying that philosophy. 'Gulveer's done such a good job of continuing one step after another after another,' he added. The group-training model, where Indian athletes train alongside world-class runners, has also accelerated development. 'When we all pull together and we train together, then everybody improves and everybody can get to this next level,' Simmons said.

Barwal and Seema: Room to Grow

Simmons acknowledged that Barwal, despite his historic silver, is still relatively new to the marathon distance and will benefit from more event-specific preparation. '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 said. Progression could eventually lead Barwal to qualification for the Beijing World Championships, according to Simmons. Seema Kumari's bronze, meanwhile, reinforced the depth India is beginning to build in women's long-distance events.

The Road to Los Angeles 2028

With Nagoya behind them, Simmons says the focus has firmly shifted to LA 2028. He noted that Olympic qualifying standards are becoming increasingly demanding, but said the athletes in his group now possess the belief to meet them. 'They believe they can qualify and qualifying is more difficult than it's ever been. But again, they're in a training group with others that have their eyes set on it also,' he said.

Simmons also called for two to four younger Indian athletes to be integrated into the long-distance programme now, giving them the development time required to be competitive by 2028. The performances in Nagoya have provided a compelling proof of concept — and for Indian distance running, the next Olympic cycle may be its most consequential yet.