A last minute addition to the athletics team, Tejaswin Shankar on Wednesday became the first Indian to win a men's high jump medal in the Commonwealth Games as he clinched a Bronze in the final here.
The national record holder cleared 2.22m to finish third on countback. Donald Thomas of Bahamas and England's Joel Clarke-Khan also cleared 2.22m but they needed more than one attempt to do it while Shankar was successful in single try.
In women's shot put final, Manpreet Kaur finished 12th and last with a disappointing best throw of 15.69m.
The 23-year-old Shankar could not soar over 2.25m in two attempts. He then went for 2.28m in his third and final attempt in a bid to win a Silver but failed.
Before Shankar, the best position an Indian had achieved in men's high jump in CWG was by Bhim Singh who cleared 2.06m in the 1970 edition in Edinburgh.
"I had a long (US) collegiate season and started jumping in January but getting a Bronze here is like a dream come true and I'm just happy to take something back home with me," an elated Shankar said.
Shankar had finished sixth in the 2018 Gold Coast edition with a best jump of 2.24m.
Shankar, who was added in the Indian athletics squad on the orders of Delhi High Court, has a season's best of 2.27m and personal best of 2.29m.
Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won the Gold while Australia's Brandon Starc clinched the Silver. Both cleared 2.25m but could not soar over 2.28m but the Kiwi won the gold on count back.
"I've been seeing these guys (Hamish Kerr and Brandon Starc) on TV all the time so just to share the podium with them is spectacular. This is my first feather in my cap so I just want things to move forward from here," he added
‘compete in decathlon in Asian games’
Indian high jumper Tejaswin Shankar on Thursday said he has not been able to perform to his full potential owing to chronic tendonitis and it's now a "certainty" that he will compete in decathlon at next year's Asian Games. The problem, however, could not come in his way of winning the country its first-ever medal — a Bronze — in high jump at the Commonwealth Games here.
"Because with constant tendonitis on my knee, I have not been able to jump as much as I would like to. But I have been able to supplement my high jump training by doing a lot of long jump activities or doing hurdles," the 23-year-old said.
Tejaswin said he wants to compete in decathlon at next year's Asian Games.
"That is a certainty. I want to compete in decathlon at the Asian Games. That is what I am going to do, going forward," Tejaswin said.
Decathlon is a competition in which athletes participate in 10 sporting events — 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m — over two days.
"Even if I do not compete at decathlon, I want to continue training in decathlon because it really works for me."