World Athletics Championships 2025, Day 3: Murali Sreesankar, Parul Chaudhary fail to secure spot in final

Day 3 of the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo was a tough one for India's athletes. The morning session brought heartbreak with Tejas Shirse, Murali Sreeshankar, and Parul Chaudhary all missing out on qualification for the following rounds.

Sprint hurdler Tejas Shirse clocked 13.57 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles heats, finishing sixth in his heat and ranking 29th overall, missing out on a semifinal berth. Shirse, who holds the national record in 110m hurdles, was aiming to improve on his personal best of 13.41s but could not replicate that form in Tokyo.

In the men’s long jump qualification, Murali Sreesankar recorded a best of 7.78m, which was short of the distance required to reach the final. Sreesankar's participation was among the most anticipated ones given the serious knee injury that ruled him out of last year's Paris Olympics but he couldn't make it to the final round.

In the women’s 3000m steeplechase heats, Parul Chaudhary finished 9th with a timing of 9:22.24, while Ankita Dhyani ended 11th in her heat with 10:03.22, both failing to make the final cut.

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Sarvesh Kushare secures spot in Men's High Jump final

There was good news for India on Sunday, however, as Sarvesh Kushare made it to the men’s high jump final, by clearing 2.29m in the qualification round.

It marked a historic performance for it not only matched his season’s best but also established him as the first Indian ever to qualify for a World Championships final in this event. His confident approach and clean attempts in the early heights kept him in contention, and he comfortably achieved the qualifying mark that ensured his place among the world’s best jumpers.

Day 3 underlined the fine margins at the global level, where one good jump or sprint could have changed fortunes. But Kushare’s historic qualification on Day 2 has ensured that India still has a strong contender for a podium finish.