CWG 2022: Tejaswin claims India’s first-ever medal in high jump

BIRMINGHAM: India’s Tejaswin Shankar clinched the bronze medal in the men’s high jump final with the mark of 2.22m at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old won the nation’s first athletics medal in the men’s high jump event. World championships indoor bronze medallist Hamish Kerr won the gold for clearing 2.25m and pipped the defending champion Brandon Starc from Australia courtesy of lesser fouls.

India’s Shankar started with a successful jump of 2.10m in his first attempt. Shankar took a smooth jump as he cleared the 2.15m hurdle with complete ease on his first attempt.

Shankar executed the 2.19m jump in an emphatic fashion. Throughout the game, Shankar did not find any difficulty getting over the bar once again with a 2.22m jump on his first attempt itself.

However, the Indian high jumper failed to get over the bar on his first attempt in the 2.25m hurdle and in his second attempt too. He decided to give 2.25m third attempt a miss and went straight for 2.28m but failed to clear it. With the failed attempts he had to settle for the bronze medal at the Birmingham 2022.

Former world and CWG champion Donald Thomas from the Bahamas was tied with Tejaswin Shankar at 2.22m but the Indian athlete earned the bronze for making fewer fouls.