Unheralded high jumper Sarvesh Kushare scripted history on Tuesday by finishing sixth in the men’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships with a personal best of 2.28m — just a centimetre short of the national record.
The 30-year-old, son of an onion farmer from a small village near Nashik, Maharashtra, became the first Indian ever to reach the World Championships final in high jump. His spirited performance came despite barely qualifying for the event, sneaking in through the world ranking quota at 34th position out of 36 competitors.
Performance Highlights
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Cleared 2.20m on first attempt.
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Needed two attempts to clear 2.24m.
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Failed twice at 2.28m, but cleared on third try — achieving a personal best (previous PB: 2.27m, 2022).
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Missed 2.31m, which would have broken Tejaswin Shankar’s national record of 2.29m (2018).
Despite the miss, Kushare held his head high. His journey — from training on makeshift fodder mats in his early days to competing among the world’s best — is being hailed as inspirational.
Medal Winners
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Gold: Hamish Kerr (New Zealand) – 2.36m (world-leading mark)
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Silver: Woo Sanghyeok (South Korea) – 2.34m
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Bronze: [Not mentioned in the report, likely third-best clearance].
Kushare’s final appearance comes after winning a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Championships and representing India at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he fell short in qualification. He has been consistent this season, dipping below 2.19m only once in 10 competitions.
