A native of Nashik, Maharashtra, and the son of an onion farmer, Kushare began the qualification round by clearing 2.16m, followed by 2.21m, both on his second attempts. His final leap of 2.25m, though not matching his personal best of 2.27m, was enough to propel him into the final
Sarvesh Kushare (Photo: Instagram/sarveshkushare_hj)
In a historic first for Indian athletics, Sarvesh Kushare on Sunday qualified for the men’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships, currently underway in Tokyo. On a sweltering day at the National Stadium, the 30-year-old cleared 2.25m on his second attempt, earning his place in the 13-man final, scheduled for Tuesday evening at 5:06 PM IST.
What made the achievement even more remarkable was the absence of reigning Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi, who failed to make the cut for the world meet.
A native of Nashik, Maharashtra, and the son of an onion farmer, Kushare began the qualification round by clearing 2.16m, followed by 2.21m, both on his second attempts. His final leap of 2.25m, though not matching his personal best of 2.27m, was enough to propel him into the final.
Kushare’s self-belief has been the cornerstone of his growth, especially after a key turning point in 2016, when he joined the Indian Army. Access to improved training infrastructure and financial stability gave his sporting career the boost it needed. He bought his first pair of professional high jump spikes with his own salary.
The high jumper has had an impressive season leading up to Tokyo. Earlier this year, he defeated Tejaswin Shankar, India’s top high jumper (now focused on the decathlon), to clinch gold at the India Open in Bengaluru. He followed it up by clearing 2.26m at both the India Open in Sangrur (July) and the National Federation Senior Athletics Championships (April), inching close to his personal best.
Though he competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 25th after struggling with an ankle injury, this year’s World Championships mark a major comeback for the veteran athlete.
With the final just around the corner, Kushare is aware of the task ahead. “Qualifying and finals are different. We planned training for the qualifiers two days before, and now for the final, we have one day. I'll relax a bit, do a good training session, and then focus on giving my best in the final,” he said.
Event details
Sarvesh Kushare Men’s High Jump final: 5:06 p.m. (Indian time)
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