Sarvesh Anil Kushare will be in focus on Day 4 of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The 30-year-old, son of an onion farmer in Nashik in Maharashtra, became the first Indian man to qualify for the high jump final, which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16.
Sarvesh will be the lone Indian in action on Day 4 after Tejas Shrise, who failed to qualify for the 110m hurdles. Wednesday was a disappointing day for India as Murali Sreeshankar, who made the final of the world meet two years ago, missed out after failing to get past the 8m-mark.
Tokyo will hope Tuesday's action can carry forward the excitement that was offered on Monday. Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis set the stage on fire by defending his crown for the second time and doing so in style - by breaking the world record for the 14th time in his career, leaping over 6.30m. There was heartbreak for two-time champion Soufiane El Bakkali. The Moroccan broke down in inconsolable tears and collapsed to the track after New Zealand's Geordie Beamish produced a sensational late surge to snatch gold in the men's 3,000m steeplechase.
There are plenty of big names who could bring the National Stadium alive on Tuesday.
There are a total of 4 medal events - men's high jump, men's hammer throw, women's 400m and men's 110m hurdles.
Sarvesh Kusare will compete in a world-class 13-man high jump field.
HOW TO WATCH SARVESH IN THE MEN'S HIGH JUMP FINAL?
For nearly a decade, men's high jump has been defined by the rivalry and friendship of Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi. Between them, they collected every world title since 2017 - Barshim stringing together three in a row before Tamberi seized the crown in Budapest in 2023.
That era pauses in Tokyo. Barshim pulled out before the championships with a foot injury, while Tamberi's own fitness struggles saw him fall short in qualifying. Their absence shifts the spotlight to a new generation, with Olympic champion Hamish Kerr, world indoor winner Woo Sanghyeok, and European indoor title-holder Oleh Doroshchuk poised to battle for supremacy on the big stage.
In the qualifying, Sarvesh, who represented India at the Paris Olympics last year, cleared 2.25m on his second attempt - a mark that proved sufficient to take him through.
Sarvesh needs to better his personal best of 2.27m if he is to push for a top 10 finish, leave alone fight for a place on the podium.
Sarvesh s not taking anything for granted. He has promised to give his all in the final, scheduled for Tuesday, 16 September.
"The final is still ahead. The qualifying round was slightly easier. But in the final, the competition is at the world level - very strong. I was focusing on performing my best, and mentally I was challenging myself throughout.
"Qualifying and finals are different. We planned training for the qualifiers two days before, and now for the final, we have one day. I'll relax a bit, do a good training session, and then focus on giving my best in the final," he added.
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