Tejaswin Shankar clinches gold in high jump at USATF Festival with season's best performance

Tejaswin Shankar, the national record holder, cleared a height of 2.23 meters on his first attempt to secure victory at the World Athletics Continental Tour – Silver event. The performance matched his best of the season but fell short of his personal best of 2.29 meters achieved in April 2018. Tejaswin achieved the mark at the Texas Tech invite while representing K-State athletics.

USA's Earnie Sears finished in second place, while Roberto Vilches of Mexico was third. Sarvesh Kushare successfully cleared a height of 2.13 meters and secured the fifth position in the men's high jump event at the USATF Festival in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

This marked Tejaswin's fifth competition of the year and his initial one for the month. Tejaswin Shankar, the silver medalist in the decathlon at the Hangzhou Asian Games, has shifted his focus to his preferred event, the high jump, in preparation for the Paris Olympics 2024. The qualification standard for the high jump event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris is set at 2.33 meters.

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Tejaswin Shankar's high jump journey from Belgium to the United States

This year, Tejaswin achieved his season's best of 2.23 meters in Belgium in February. He accomplished this feat while winning the World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger event at the International High Jump Gala Elmos 2024 athletics meeting, marking his first victory since October 2023 in Heist-op-den-Berg.

In his last three events, Tejaswin was unable to surpass his season's best performance. Therefore, his accomplishments in the United States serve as a clear indication of the progress he has achieved.

Tejaswin Shankar, the bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games, emerged victorious in the high jump event, finishing ahead of Earnie Sears and Roberto Vilches.

This marked Tejaswin's second gold medal in the high jump event in the United States in 2024. He achieved a gold medal when he emerged victorious at the Shocker Spring Invitational held at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas City, in March.