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Indian high jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare on Sunday became the first-ever Indian to enter a World Championship final in the event. The 30-year-old from Maharashtra was among the 13 athletes – out of the 35 competitors – to make the final after clearing 2.25m. Nobody attempted the automatic qualification mark of 2.30m.
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This is Sarvesh’s second appearance at the World Championships. At the last edition, he couldn’t move beyond the qualification stage, finishing with a best jump of 2.22m.
“It is a very good feeling. I had faith in myself that I would make it to the final. I think my performance will make people back home believe that we can do well in events like high jump,” Sarvesh told NNIS Sports after his qualification.
On Sunday, Sarvesh started at the 2.16m mark and cleared it on his second attempt. Then he went over 2.21m and 2.25m, booking his berth in the final. Sarvesh’s personal best is 2.27m recorded in 2022. It was a sultry day in Tokyo as the humidity levels reached 85 percent during the competition.
Talking about athletes not going for higher jumps, Sarvesh said, “Since it was the qualification round, everybody decided to not put much effort and just do what was necessary. The final will have more competition when everyone will target the podium.”
Sarvesh has been one of India’s best jumpers in recent years after national record holder Tejaswin Shankar switched to decathlon. He won both the Federation Cup and Inter-State Athletics Championships this season and qualified for the World Championships via world rankings.
He will feature in Tuesday’s final and will be up against the likes of Olympic champion Hamish Kerr and Diamond League champion Sanghyeok Woo. Reigning world champion Gianmarco Tamberi failed to qualify for the final.
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“I have one day before the final. I will relax and train a little bit. Hopefully, I will record a good mark in the final,” Sarvesh concluded.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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