Tejaswin Shankar, India’s national high jump record holder and accomplished decathlete, participated in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Indian Open Athletics Meet held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.
It was a rare outing for Tejaswin in the 110m hurdles as a standalone event. He finished seventh but also competed in his primary event, the high jump, securing a silver medal behind Sarvesh Anil.
Tejaswin, who holds the national high jump record at 2.29 meters, explained that racing against experienced hurdlers helps him grow as a decathlete.
“Hurdles is one of those events where I improve with every repetition. Training alone can’t replicate the pressure and intensity of a real competition. Competing against specialists gives me valuable experience,” he said.
As a JSW Sports athlete, Tejaswin added that the meet served a dual purpose—it helped him assess his current form and also meet the qualifying standard (2.05 meters in high jump) for the upcoming Inter-State Championships.
“There are some events you need to take part in to qualify. I managed to tick that box while also testing where I stand in terms of preparation,” he said.
Earlier this year, Tejaswin claimed a silver medal in decathlon at the Asian Athletics Championships. However, he expressed slight disappointment at missing out on his goal of breaking his own national record of 7,666 points, falling just short with 7,618 points.
“My main focus this year was the Asian Championships. I’m happy with the medal, but I had aimed to break my own national record, and that didn’t happen,” he added.
Published: June 28, 2025 – 8:27 PM IST
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