Sarvesh Kushare Creates History on High Jump Diamond League Debut, Finishes Third in Monaco After National Record Heroics

Monaco, July 11: Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare continued his good form as he secured a historic third-place finish on his Diamond League debut in Monaco on Friday (July 10).

Less than two weeks after rewriting the Indian record books at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he created a new national record, Kushare cleared 2.26m to finish third in a world-class field featuring Olympic and World Championships medallists.

The 31-year-old became only the fourth Indian athlete to secure a top-three finish at a Diamond League meeting, joining an exclusive list featuring Neeraj Chopra, Murali Sreeshankar and Vikas Gowda.

World leader and world indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk of Ukraine won the competition after clearing 2.32m, while Great Britain’s Jack Kimani finished second with a best effort of 2.30m.

Sarvesh Kushare Produces Near-Flawless Run in Monaco

High on confidence from his personal best performance late last month, Kushare cleared 2.12m, 2.16m, 2.20m, 2.23m and 2.26m with his first attempts. The Indian then raised the bar to 2.28m but failed to clear the height in three attempts, ending his competition with a best effort of 2.26m.

His consistency proved crucial in securing third place and it puts him in good stead ahead of the CWG 2026 in Glasgow, starting July 23. Kushare’s performance was even more impressive considering the quality of the field he finished ahead of.

The Pune-based athlete beat three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar, 2023 World Championships silver medallist JuVaughn Harrison of the USA and Tokyo Olympics champion Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy. Barshim finished joint eighth after clearing 2.20m, while Harrison ended the competition joint fourth.

From National Record in Bhubaneswar to Diamond League Debut

Earlier on June 27, Kushare cleared 2.31m to break Tejaswin Shankar’s long-standing Indian men’s high jump record of 2.29m. The performance also saw Kushare breach the Asian Games 2026 qualification mark and move to the top of the Asian season rankings.

From finishing sixth at the World Championships to becoming the national record holder and now putting up a strong show in Monaco, the last nine months have marked an extraordinary rise for Kushare.

After breaking the national record in Bhubaneswar, Kushare – after winning the gold medal at Kalinga Stadium – had spoken exclusively to myKhel about the work that had gone into improving his technique and the support he received from former national record holder Tejaswin Shankar, who is now a decathlete.

Despite taking Shankar’s national record, Kushare revealed that the duo share a close friendship and regularly discuss the technical aspects of the event. “Tejaswin is a good friend of mine. I get a lot of help from him. If I feel that there is a disturbance in the run-up, I talk to him. I get a lot of help from him,” Kushare told myKhel.

He also revealed that his focus had been on improving the crucial final steps of his approach to the bar. “I spoke to Tejaswin and he told me that I need to improve in the last three or four steps. I’m focusing on that and I’m getting good training,” he said.

That technical work appears to be paying dividends. In Monaco, Kushare cleared each height from 2.12m to 2.26m on his first attempt, demonstrating the consistency required to compete against the world’s best high jumpers.

‘I Want to Do My Best and Win a Good Medal’

The high jumper made it clear that his focus was firmly on delivering medals for India at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. “I will continue to work hard and do well in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games,” Kushare said.

He also acknowledged the standard set by India’s biggest athletics star, Neeraj Chopra, on the global stage. “Neeraj bhai has won medals at the World Championships and Olympics. He has done well in the competition and won medals. I should also do well in the competition,” he said.

Asked about his ambitions for the upcoming CWG and Asian Games, Kushare had a simple response. “Everyone is preparing for the gold medal. I want to do my best and win a good medal.”