Tejaswin Shankar withdraws from the Commonwealth Games 2026 high jump final in Glasgow after failing to clear the opening height. Read more about the incident.
Early confusion and withdrawal
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 on his first attempt and subsequently pulled out of the event. The incident at Scotstoun Stadium was preceded by initial confusion regarding his status 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 led to an impression that India’s representation in the final had decreased from three athletes to two. However, live telecast visuals clarified the situation, showing Shankar warming up and preparing to compete alongside his teammates, Sarvesh Kushare and J Aadarsh Ram. It was later confirmed that the DNS status was an administrative error on the website.
Following the clarification of the website error, attention shifted to Shankar’s performance. After his failed opening jump, the 27-year-old athlete appeared to be in discomfort. He decided to withdraw from the competition shortly after, bringing an abrupt end to his high jump participation.
Impact and background
No immediate official statement was released regarding the nature of Shankar’s problem. Organisers and the Indian contingent did not comment on whether this issue might affect his planned participation in the decathlon later in the Games. Shankar had arrived in Glasgow as the defending bronze medallist in the high jump, having secured a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This achievement made him the first Indian athlete to win a medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games, setting high expectations for his performance in Glasgow.
Tejaswin Shankar has been recognised as one of India’s leading track and field athletes, excelling in both high jump and decathlon. He holds national records in both disciplines and has achieved medals at significant international events. His journey in athletics began after a physical education teacher at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya encouraged him to pursue the sport to improve his speed and agility for cricket, which he initially aspired to play as a fast bowler.
His athletic career saw him establish the Indian outdoor high jump record at 2.29m in 2018, and an indoor national record at 2.28m. These marks remain among the best performances by an Indian athlete in the discipline. His success in high jump also earned him a four-year athletics scholarship to Kansas State University in the United States in 2017, where he studied accounting and finance while competing in the NCAA circuit.
Shankar’s form throughout 2026 had been notable, particularly in combined events. In February, he secured 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 positioned him as one of India’s most versatile track-and-field athletes leading into the Commonwealth Games.
The early exit from the high jump final is considered a setback, and attention is now on his potential recovery for the multi-event competition. Despite this, India’s medal tally continued to grow on Monday, with Gyaneshwari Yadav winning a silver medal in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event, and Bindyarani Devi securing a bronze medal in the women’s 58kg category.
Tejaswin Shankar, born on December 21, 1998, in Saket, New Delhi, faced personal challenges from a young age, including the loss of his father in 2014. Despite these difficulties, he continued his athletic pursuits with the support of his mother, Lakshmi, progressing steadily through junior levels. His bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a gold at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games highlight his previous successes.
Source: outlookindia.com
