CWG 2022: High jumper Tejaswin Shankar answers back his critics by winning bronze 

For Tejaswin Shankar, winning the bronze medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games (CWG 2022) in Birmingham on Wednesday (August 3) night would be as good as winning the title considering the painful experience he had to go through to get his name included in the national squad.

Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won gold while Australia's Brandon Strac won silver.

The Indian high jumper held his nerves, clearing the bar with a best effort of 2.22m to win India’s first track and field medal at CWG 2022. He also became the first Indian high jumper to earn a podium-finish in the history of the quadrennial event.

The Delhi-based athlete failed to cross 2.25m twice, clearing 2.22m in his first attempt. The high jumper went for an attempt to clear the 2.28m mark on his third and final attempt, but failed.

The national record holder was assured of the historic bronze medal for his country as Donald Thomas of the Bahamas failed to clear the 2.25m mark in his final attempt.

Shankar’s season-best this year has been 2.27m, which he achieved in March at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition in the USA. The Indian high jumper didn’t compete on the domestic circuit this year as he was busy competing in the USA.

Shankar had a rough couple of weeks ahead of CWG 2022

The medal will be a breath of fresh air for the Indian athlete, who had a tough time going into CWG 2022. Shankar's name was only included at the eleventh hour in the Indian contingent.

Off-the-field activities have kept the high jumper on his toes since June, when his name was excluded by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in the final squad for the Commonwealth Games.

Upset by the development, the youngster knocked on the doors of the Delhi High Court and got a favorable response, paving the way for his inclusion into the team for CWG 2022.

The bronze medal-winning feat on Wednesday night will certainly act as an excellent platform to prepare for future international competitions, including the 2023 Asian Games.

Shankar missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games as he couldn’t achieve the qualification mark of 2.33m. His season-best in 2021 was 2.28m. Even his global ranking wasn’t high enough to earn him a berth in the Olympic Games. He created a new national record in 2018 with an effort of 2.29m.