High Jump Final Drama
India‘s Tejaswin Shankar withdrew from the men’s high jump final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Monday. His campaign concluded after he failed to clear the opening height of 2.05 metres and subsequently pulled out of the event. The incident occurred at Scotstoun Stadium, following initial confusion caused by an error on the official results website.
The official results platform for the Commonwealth Games 2026 initially listed Tejaswin Shankar as DNS (Did Not Start) for the men’s high jump final. This created an impression that India‘s representation in the final had decreased from three athletes to two. However, live telecast pictures quickly clarified the situation, showing Shankar warming up and preparing to compete alongside his teammates, Sarvesh Kushare and J Aadarsh Ram. The DNS status was later identified as an administrative error on the official website.
Once the website error was resolved, attention shifted to Shankar‘s performance. During his first attempt at the opening height of 2.05 metres, he was unable to clear the bar. After landing on the mat, the 27-year-old athlete appeared to be in discomfort. He decided to withdraw from the competition within minutes, bringing an abrupt end to his high jump participation.
Impact and Future Participation
No immediate official statement was released regarding the nature of Shankar‘s discomfort or withdrawal. Organisers and the Indian contingent did not comment on whether this issue might affect his planned participation in the decathlon, which is scheduled for later in the Games. Shankar had arrived in Glasgow as the defending bronze medallist in the high jump, having secured a bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This achievement made him the first Indian to win a medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games.
His form leading up to 2026 had been notable, particularly in combined events. In February, he won the Asian Indoor Championships heptathlon title, setting an Indian record of 5,993 points. Three months later, at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, he became the first Indian athlete to surpass the 8,000-point barrier in the decathlon, achieving a national record of 8,057 points. These results had established him as one of India’s most versatile track-and-field athletes entering the Commonwealth Games.
The early exit from the high jump final is considered a setback, and focus now shifts to his potential recovery for the multi-event competition. Tejaswin Shankar was born on December 21, 1998, in Saket, New Delhi. He initially aimed to be a fast bowler in cricket before transitioning to athletics, motivated by a physical education teacher at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya to improve his speed and agility. He quickly discovered an aptitude for high jumping, excelling in school competitions.
His athletic journey was influenced by personal challenges, including the loss of his father, Harishankar, in 2014. Despite this, he continued his athletics career with the support of his mother, Lakshmi, progressing through junior levels. In 2017, his high jump achievements earned him a four-year athletics scholarship to Kansas State University in the United States, where he studied accounting and finance while competing in the NCAA circuit.
In 2018, Shankar set the Indian outdoor high jump record at 2.29m and the indoor national record at 2.28m. These records remain among the best performances by an Indian athlete in the discipline. Earlier in his career, he also secured a gold medal at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games.
While Shankar‘s high jump event concluded, India continued to add to its medal tally on Monday. Gyaneshwari Yadav secured a silver medal in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event, and Bindyarani Devi earned a bronze medal in the women’s 58kg category. The Indian contingent awaits further medical updates regarding Tejaswin Shankar following his withdrawal.
Source: outlookindia.com
