Tejaswin Shankar of India won the top spot in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston after defeating a determined fight from former world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Donald Thomas of the Bahamas.
The 24-year-old athlete from Delhi outleaped 38-year-old Thomas to take second place with a jump of 2.26 metres at the 2010 CWG and the 2007 World Championships. The Bahamian's best leap measured 2.23 metres.
With support from the audience, Shankar, who won the bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, cleared 2.14, 2.19, 2.23, and 2.26 metres on his first four tries.
In his first competition since graduating from college, Shankar, who last year helped Kansas State win their second NCAA championship, made three unsuccessful efforts to break his previous personal best of 2.30 metres.
Shankar's personal best indoor jump is 2.28 metres, while his best outdoor jump is 2.29 metres, both of which he accomplished in 2018 at Lubbock and Ames, respectively.
In the four-man field, Darryl Sullivan of the USA recorded his season-best leap of 2.19m to place third.
Shankar posted a video of his gold-winning leap on social media and commented, "Awesome way to start the new year! excited to battle against the best athletes in the season opening."
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