Tejaswin Shankar Creates Commonwealth Games History with Decathlon Bronze

Glasgow, August 2026 : India’s Tejaswin Shankar created history at the Commonwealth Games 2026 by becoming the country’s first athlete to win a medal in the men’s decathlon at a major international multi-sport event, securing bronze in Glasgow.

The 27-year-old athlete, who successfully transitioned from high jump to combined events, finished the gruelling 10-discipline competition with 7,976 points. His achievement also made him the first Indian athlete to win Commonwealth Games medals in two different disciplines.

Shankar had previously won a bronze medal in the men’s high jump at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. His latest success therefore adds another significant chapter to his career and places him among India’s most versatile track and field athletes.

Grenada’s Victor Lindon claimed the gold medal with a season-best 8,096 points, while Canada’s Damian Warner secured silver with 8,036 points. Shankar narrowly missed the 8,000-point barrier but still delivered a landmark performance to secure his place on the podium.

The Indian began the competition strongly, finishing seventh in the 100m with a time of 10.96 seconds, earning 870 points. He then produced an impressive 7.82m effort in the long jump, collecting 1,015 points and moving into third place overall.

Shankar earned another 673 points in the shot put before clearing 2.15m in the high jump, gaining 944 points. He followed that with 837 points from the 400m, finishing fifth in the event.

At the end of the first five disciplines, Shankar had accumulated 4,339 points and was second in the overall standings, putting himself firmly in contention for a medal.

The second half of the decathlon proved more challenging. Shankar collected 922 points in the 110m hurdles but managed only 674 points in the discus throw and 704 in the pole vault. The dip in his performances saw him slip to fourth place in the overall standings.

However, the Indian responded strongly when it mattered most. A solid performance in the javelin throw moved him back into the medal positions, setting up a decisive final event.

Shankar then completed the decathlon with the 1,500m race, earning 704 points and finishing with an overall tally of 7,976 points, enough to secure bronze.

The achievement is particularly significant given Shankar’s unusual career trajectory. He is India’s national record holder in the decathlon and previously established himself as one of the country’s leading high jumpers.

While studying at Kansas State University in the United States, Shankar won two NCAA Division I high jump titles, establishing himself on the international athletics circuit. He first attracted major attention in 2018 when he set an Indian high jump record of 2.29m.

His success continued at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, where he won bronze in the high jump, becoming the first Indian male athlete to secure a medal in the event at the Games.

Shankar subsequently shifted his focus towards combined events and quickly established himself as a leading decathlete. He won silver in the decathlon at the 2022 Asian Games and has since developed into a major force in both the decathlon and heptathlon.

As the reigning Asian champion in both events, Shankar entered Glasgow with significant expectations. His bronze medal has now added a historic Commonwealth Games achievement to his growing list of accomplishments.

Beyond the medal itself, Shankar’s performance highlights the potential of Indian athletes in combined events, traditionally an area in which the country has had limited representation at the highest level.

His ability to compete successfully across sprinting, jumping and throwing disciplines makes the Glasgow bronze particularly noteworthy and could inspire a new generation of Indian athletes to take up multi-event athletics.

Team Maverick