National record holder Tejaswin Shankar overcame a long-standing knee injury and scripted history as he became the first Indian to win a decathlon medal at the Commonwealth Games
National record holder Tejaswin Shankar overcame a long-standing knee injury and scripted history as he became the first Indian to win a decathlon medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching bronze here on Friday. Tejaswin collected a total of 7,976 points in the gruelling 10-event discipline, competed over two days. He was competing despite having chronic patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee), which led to his pulling out of the men’s high jump event earlier in the Glasgow Games.
A heartbroken Tejaswin was in tears after being forced to withdraw from the high jump event following his opening attempt due to a flare-up of the long-standing issue.
It was his second Commonwealth Games medal after the high jump bronze in the 2022 edition in Birmingham. His national record stands at 8,057 points.
The 27-year-old, who also won a decathlon silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, was second overnight after five events behind Canada’s Damian Warner, who eventually took silver with 8,036 points.
Tejaswin jumped to third place after the ninth event, the javelin throw, and maintained that position with a fifth-place finish in the 1500m, the final event.
Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lindon Victor of Grenada took gold with 8,096 points.
Tejaswin’s Story
Tejaswin rose to prominence in the high jump after setting the Indian national record of 2.29m in 2018. He further cemented his place in Indian athletics history at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won a bronze medal, becoming the first Indian male high jumper to secure a medal at the Games.