Aadrash Ram Jothi Shankar leaps to victory, securing a bronze medal in the men’s high jump at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, marking a significant achievement for Indian athletics.
IMAGE: Aadarsh Ram Jothi Shankar cleared the 2.19m barrier to win bronze in Men’s High Jump at the ongoing Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, China, on Friday. Photograph: X
Key Points
- Aadrash Ram Jothi Shankar wins bronze medal for India in men’s high jump at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.
- Shankar’s best jump of 2.19m secured him third place in the high jump competition.
- Praveen Chithravel, India’s national record holder in triple jump, finished fourth at the championships.
- Chinese athletes dominated the men’s triple jump and women’s shot put events.
- Manikanta Hoblidhar, former national record holder in 100m, was disqualified for a false start in the 60m heats.
Aadrash Ram Jothi Shankar saved the day for India as he clinched a bronze medal in men’s high jump at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships that got underway in Tianjin, China, on Friday. Shankar’s produced a best jump of 2.19m to finish third.
“A fortnight’s camp at Bhubaneswar’s Indoor Stadium played a big role in learning fundamentals of indoor competition,” Shankar said after winning the bronze medal.
In the field of 14 competitors, the Indian jumper gradually moved towards his goal of winning a medal. As the competition progressed, the race for gold was among Shankar and two Japanese athletes.
Shankar cleared 2.15m in his second attempt and 2.19 in his third. He made efforts to improve the colour of his medal, but missed all three attempts at 2.23m.
Japan’s Seko Yuto was the gold winner with a height of 2.23m. Yuto’s compatriot Shinno Tomohiro clinched the silver with a height of 2.19m.
Other Performances at the Championships
India’s Praveen Chithravel, national record holder (outdoor) in men triple jump, fell short of a medal. Chithravel finished fourth with a distance of 16.22m, which was achieved in his sixth and last attempt.
It was a clean sweep for Chinese athletes in the men’s triple jump. Su Wen won gold with a distance of 16.55m, while Jiao Xinping (16.47m) and Ma Yinglong (16.45m) took silver and bronze respectively.
Chinese athletes also dominated the women’s shot put. India’s Yogita finished fourth with a distance of 15.33m, achieved in her second attempt.
Earlier, sprinter Manikanta Hoblidhar, former national record holder in men’s 100m (outdoor), couldn’t progress to the next round as he was disqualified for a false start in the 60m heats.
