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Tejaswin Shankar Upsets Olympic Medalist to Win High Jump Title in Kansas

Indian high jumper Tejaswin Shankar delivered a stunning performance to win the men's high jump title at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational in Kansas. He defeated American Olympian Shelby McEwen by clearing 2.26 meters, marking his best jump in three years. McEwen finished second with a season-best of 2.22 meters. The victory came in Shankar's second competition of the season, where he also attempted but failed to break his own national record.

Key Points: Tejaswin Shankar Beats Shelby McEwen for High Jump Gold

  • Upset victory over Olympic medalist
  • Cleared 2.26 meters for gold
  • Best jump in three years
  • Second competition of the season
2 min read

Tejaswin Shankar stuns Olympic medalist Shelby to secure high jump title in Kansas

Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar stuns Olympic silver medalist Shelby McEwen, winning the high jump title with a 2.26m leap in Kansas.

"India's Tejaswin Shankar pulled off a shocker, outclassing Olympic and World Indoor Championships silver medalist Shelby McEwen - Olympics.com"

Kansas, January 31

India's Tejaswin Shankar pulled off a shocker, outclassing Olympic and World Indoor Championships silver medalist Shelby McEwen to secure the men's high jump title at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational 2026 athletics meet held in Manhattan, Kansas on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Indian athlete recorded the best mark of 2.26 metres to secure the top spot, according to Olympics.com.

At the second spot was Shelby, who had his season-best jump of 2.22 m, while fellow American Devin Loudermilk was also placed at third spot, with the same jump of 2.22 m.

This also marks Tejaswin's best jump in three years, having touched the 2.26 m in 2023 during the Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.

Tejaswin is a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, and he started off with a 2.05 m jump, before going higher with a 2.10 m effort in second attempt. He also made jumps of 2.14m, 2.18m and 2.22m before the winning jump.

Tejaswin also holds the national record in high jump, 2.29 m, which he made back in 2018. He tried to outdo himself and establish a new record, but failed in all attempts of 2.30m.

The competition is a World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze-level meet and marked Tejaswin's second competition of the season after the Thane Baker Invitational in Manhattan on January 16. At the Manhattan meet earlier in January, he participated in the 60 m hurdles and shot put events. Tejaswin also holds the national record in decathlon.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
So proud! 2.26m is a huge jump. It's amazing to see an Indian athlete excelling in a field event like high jump, which doesn't always get the spotlight here. His versatility in decathlon and hurdles is also impressive. More power to him!
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Rohit P
Great win, but let's be realistic. This is a Bronze-level meet. The real test will be at the Asian Games and World Championships. Our athletes need consistent support and better domestic competition to challenge the very best regularly, not just in one-off events.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the US, this is awesome! Beating Shelby McEwen is a big deal in the track & field community here. Tejaswin is a serious talent. Hope he gets the recognition he deserves back in India too.
K
Karthik V
Baap re! 2.26 meters! That's taller than most door frames. 😲 To jump that after also doing hurdles and shot put this season shows his athleticism is next level. The national record of 2.29m is within sight. Jai ho!
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Michael C
As a track fan, this is impressive. McEwen is a top-tier jumper. For Shankar to win, and with a season-best for the American no less, signals he's in great shape. The 2026 season is looking promising for him.

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