Sarvesh Kushare Leaps to 6th Place at World Athletics, Sets Personal Best in High Jump

India's Sarvesh Kushare produced a sensational show in the men's high jump final, becoming only the fourth athlete from the country to finish in the top six at the World Athletics Championships. The 30-year-old from Maharashtra delivered a lifetime-best performance, clearing 2.28m in a star-studded final.

Earlier in the week, Sarvesh had become the first Indian ever to qualify for a high jump final at the world meet. The son of an onion farmer in Nashik, he ensured that he lit up the stage at the National Stadium in Tokyo with his performance.

World Athletics Championships Day 4 Highlights

Sarvesh bettered his personal best of 2.27m by 0.01m, but narrowly missed the national record. The Reliance Foundation athlete attempted to clear 2.31m, but fell short of the bar on all three attempts.

A showman on the field, Sarvesh was at his exuberant best, punching the air in delight after successful jumps. On clearing 2.28m, he roared: "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai!" before celebrating with his team.

Sarvesh also had the encouragement of national record-holder Tejaswin Shankar, who, although not in Tokyo, kept cheering him on remotely and urging him to break the 2.30m barrier.

Though Sarvesh could not scale 2.31m, he can take pride in finishing among the top six. His journey began in Deogaon, Nashik, where his schoolteacher and first mentor, Raosaheb Jadhav, trained him on makeshift landing mats filled with corn husks, cotton and discarded clothes. Starting with the scissors technique before mastering the Fosbury Flop, Sarvesh overcame his fear of awkward landings to adapt to the modern style.

His career gained shape after he joined the Indian Army in 2016, which provided financial stability and access to proper training facilities. With his salary, he bought his first pair of professional high jump spikes - a small but symbolic step in his career. He went on to win gold at the South Asian Games in Kathmandu in 2019 and later represented India at the Paris Olympics in 2024, where he finished 25th after battling an ankle injury in the lead-up.

Olympic Champion Hamish Kerr Wins Gold

The gold medal in the men's high jump went to Olympic champion Hamish Kerr, who cleared 2.36m. The Kiwi star delivered a sensational show, proving his consistency at the highest level as he equalled his personal best and set a new season's best on the biggest stage.

Sanghyeok Woo of Korea claimed silver with 2.34m, while Jan Stefela of the Czech Republic stunned World No. 3 Oleh Doroschuk of Ukraine to take bronze on countback.

It was the night of Hamish Kerr, who had signalled a changing of the guard in Paris last year and reaffirmed it in Tokyo. For nearly a decade, men's high jump had been defined by the rivalry and friendship of Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi. Between them, they dominated every world title since 2017 - Barshim winning three consecutively before Tamberi seized the crown in Budapest in 2023.

With Barshim sidelined by injury and Tamberi failing to qualify, Kerr confirmed his status as the best in the world today, holding both the Olympic and World Championships titles.