Shankar bags silver in USA, but misses Olympic qualification mark

Eugene (Oregon), June 12 Tejaswin Shankar, India's men's high jump national record holder, won silver by clearing with a height of 2.23 metres at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships here in the USA.

But 22-year-old Shankar, representing Kansas State University at the NCAA competition, fell short of Tokyo Olympic Games qualification standard of 2.33m.

JuVaughn Harrison of Louisiana State University was first with 2.33m while Mayson Conner of Nebraska was third with 2.23m.

In May, Shankar had cleared the bar at 2.28m to win back-to-back men's high jump titles in the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Manhattan. He had won the title in the 2019 edition while the 2020 edition of the competition wasn't held due to a pandemic.

The Delhi-based high jumper is studying business administration at Kansas State University on a four-year athletics scholarship since 2017.

Shankar had skipped the Federation Cup Athletics Championships in March as the dates were clashing with his NCAA indoor season. He won high jump bronze in the NCAA meet with a height of 2.24m.