BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — On Tuesday, Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, delivered a really historic performance at the World Championships finals. The 30-year-old athlete came in a respectable sixth place, with a new personal best of 2.28m, which was only one centimeter short of the national record. This amazing achievement comes just two days after he became the first Indian to make it to the high jump medal round at the World Championships.
Kushare, who started off as the son of an onion farmer in a tiny village near Nashik in Maharashtra, showed a lot of tenacity and dedication. He broke his own record of 2.27m, which he set in 2022, by clearing 2.28m on his third try. But the bar was too high at 2.31m, so he couldn’t surpass Tejaswini Shankar’s 2.29m national record from 2018.
Kushare’s performance is a great source of pride for India, even if he just missed the national record. He famously practiced on homemade mats made of grain early in his career, which shows how dedicated he was. He nearly made it to the World Championships, finishing 34th out of 36 athletes and earning his spot through a world ranking quota.
Kushare got off to a good start in the final, clearing 2.20m on his first try. He then had to jump twice to clear the next height of 2.24m. He failed on his first two tries when the bar was increased to 2.28m, but he showed amazing strength by clearing it on his third. However, he was unable to reach the next height of 2.31m in any of his three attempts.
The gold medal in the event was won by New Zealand’s reigning Olympic champion, Hamish Kerr, who achieved a world-leading jump of 2.36m. In a very close race, Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok won the silver medal with a jump of 2.34m. He is the world indoor champion.
Kushare, who also won a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Championships, has been consistent this season, only going below 2.19m once in ten events. His historic qualification and outstanding performance in the final indicate how much he has grown as an international high jumper.