Kushare scripts history on Diamond League debut, becomes first Indian ever to...

India's Sarvesh Kushare made a strong first impression at the Monaco Diamond League 2026 by finishing third in the men's high jump. The 31-year-old cleared 2.26m to secure a place on the podium at Stade Louis II. With the result, he became the first Indian to finish in the top three on a Diamond League debut and only the fourth Indian athlete to achieve a top-three finish at a Diamond League meet, joining Vikas Gowda, Neeraj Chopra and Murali Sreeshankar.Kushare produced a consistent performance throughout the event, clearing 2.12m, 2.16m, 2.20m, 2.23m and 2.26m, all on his first attempt. He could not clear 2.28m despite three tries, which left him in third place. Ukraine's Oleh Doroshchuk won the event with a jump of 2.32m, while Great Britain's Jack Kimani finished second with 2.30m in his own Diamond League debut.Kushare's podium finish was even more impressive as he finished ahead of several top high jumpers, including joint Tokyo Olympics gold medallists Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, who placed seventh and eighth respectively.The result adds to what has already been a breakthrough year for the Indian high jumper. Last month, he set a new national record of 2.31m at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, breaking Tejaswin Shankar's eight-year-old mark. He had also become the first Indian high jumper to qualify for the final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year.Kushare has also been named in India's 32-member athletics squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and will head into the competition with plenty of confidence after his impressive Diamond League debut.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.