World Athletics Championships 2025: Sarvesh Kushare becomes first Indian to reach high Jump final

Sarvesh Anil Kushare etched his name in the record books on Sunday, becoming the first Indian ever to qualify for the men’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships.

Competing at Tokyo’s National Stadium, the 30-year-old cleared 2.25m on his second attempt to secure a place in the 13-man final.

Kushare, who represented India at the Paris Olympics last year, opened with a successful clearance at 2.16m, followed it up with 2.21m, and then sailed over 2.25m to confirm his historic qualification. On a day of surprises, Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi failed to clear 2.21m and exited the competition.

Reflecting on the achievement, Kushare said he had always believed he could reach this stage. “The World Championship finals feel amazing. I had confidence in myself that I would make it… personally, I have a lot of self-belief today,” he told India Today.

New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, the reigning Olympic champion, also cleared 2.25m to qualify with ease.

The men’s high jump final is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, and Kushare has vowed to give it everything. 

With a personal best of 2.28m, Kushare enters the final knowing he has the potential to challenge for greater heights.

His journey, from training on makeshift mats filled with husks in his village of Deogaon, Nashik, to gaining professional facilities after joining the Indian Army in 2016, is a story of resilience and determination.

Already a South Asian Games gold medallist and multiple national champion, Kushare has now added a defining chapter to Indian athletics history