Sarvesh Anil Kushare, who started jumping in a makeshift pit of corn husks in his village Devargaon, Nashik, took 14 steps and a smooth lift to clear the 2.31m bar and set the new men’s high jump national record.
A simple harmonic motion to break the previous national record of 2.29m held by Tejaswin Shankar.
As he threw his hands up in celebration, every other competing jumper embraced him and clapped in admiration, showing the magnanimity of the occasion.
But the story of Sarvesh breaking the high jump national record is more of a resilient work horse than a flamboyant superstar.
The 31-year-old is the oldest athlete among the active national record holders.
“Bas ho gaya sir (it just happened). I have been chasing this mark for four years now. I jumped 2.27m in 2022 but was stuck with this mark for so many years,” Sarvesh told The Indian Express.
After jumping 2.27m in 2022 at the National Games, Sarvesh chased the elusive national record for three years before he improved to 2.28m at the World Championships.
“Whenever the 2.30 mark used to come, he used to think a lot. I also used to think a lot.Today, none of us were thinking and that is why it happened,” his coach Jithin Thomas said.
Jithin, who is an Asian silver medallist, worked on Kushare’s mindset while attempting a mark above national record.
| From pits of corn husk to national record, Sarvesh Kushare jumps 2.31m
“He used to lose control of his run-up while going for the national record. Today, his run up was top notch. I guess he was too eager in the first two attempts but then as he calmed down, the jump came,” said Jithin.
Jithin told him that if he achieves the national record, everybody will remember him whenever high jump is mentioned in the country. “I told him that if you become the first Indian jumper to break the 2.30m mark, you’ll be remembered forever in Indian athletics history,” he said.
Mental barrier broken
When Tejaswin Shankar did 2.29m in 2018, it looked like Indian high jumpers would be soon competing at global stages as 2.30m is the globally accepted standard.
“With this mark achieved, it is a mental barrier broken and the 2.34m or 2.35m mark is not far now,” Tejaswin tweeted on X.
Sarvesh acknowledged that it was a barrier and with him jumping 2.31, it might open the floodgates. To put in context, the 2.31m mark would have earned him a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships.
“Tejaswin first did 2.26m and we all followed him. If he wouldn’t have done that, none of this was possible. Now that I have gone past the 2.30m, you will see more Indian jumpers going past that mark,” said Sarvesh.
It is not the first time Sarvesh attempted a mark more than 2.30m but every time, he used to fail. “It was more like a psychological barrier. I always used to fail at the 2.30m mark. That is why I decided to go ahead and jump 2.31m. I think that worked for me,” said Sarvesh.
The village celebrates
Sarvesh has come a long way from his village in Nashik to becoming the national record holder.
Devargaon, a village with 3,000 people on the way to Nashik, watches every time Sarvesh jumps. “I am always nervous when he jumps. The village stops to watch him. Yesterday, it was evening and we were a little busy. But once everyone realized that he is going for the national record, we started watching,” his father Anil Kushare told The Indian Express.
Immediately after Sarvesh was done with his media duties, he got on a video call with his father. “Chehra toh dekhna hi tha iska itne bade din ke baad (I had to see his face after such a big day),” Anil quipped.
Kushare Sr once wanted his son to become an engineer, but today he can’t stop boasting how his son engineered one of the world class national records.