Tejaswin Shankar climbed to second place in the Commonwealth Games 2026 men’s decathlon on Thursday after producing the top mark of 2.15m in his signature high jump, a performance worth 944 points that kept him within touching distance of leader Damian Warner of Canada.
At the halfway stage of the two-day event, Warner led the standings with 4353 points, with Shankar close behind on 4339. England’s Sammy Ball sat third on 4249, 90 points behind the Indian after five events were completed.
Decathlon: High jump lifts Shankar into contention
Shankar’s 2.15m clearance in the high jump proved pivotal in shaping the leaderboard after the opening day’s five disciplines. The effort not only delivered 944 points but also stood out as the top mark in the event, helping him consolidate a strong overall position heading into Friday’s remaining competitions.
Warner, however, set the pace with two 1000-plus point performances earlier in the day. He collected 1044 points in the 100m by clocking 10.21 seconds and followed it with 1002 points in the long jump thanks to a 7.77m effort.
Shankar’s long jump was even stronger in terms of points, as his 7.82m leap earned him 1015 points. That return helped offset a comparatively slower 100m for the Indian, where his 10.96 seconds translated to 870 points and cost him some early momentum in the overall race.
In the shot put—described as his weakest event—Shankar managed 13.09m, a mark that brought him 673 points. Despite the modest return, he remained firmly in the medal mix due to his stronger outputs in the jumps and his ability to stay competitive across the other disciplines.
Shankar finished the day with the 400m, timing 49.51 seconds to place fifth in that event and add 837 points to his total. The combined tally after five events left him just 14 points behind Warner, setting up a close contest as the decathlon moves into its second day.
On Friday, Shankar is scheduled to compete in the pole vault and javelin throw as the decathlon continues. With the gap at the top narrow after the first half, the remaining disciplines will be decisive in determining the final podium positions.
Parul Chaudhary finishes 13th in women’s 5000m final
In the women’s 5000m final on Thursday, Indian distance runner Parul Chaudhary endured a difficult outing, finishing 13th to end her Commonwealth Games campaign on a disappointing note.
The 31-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, whose season and personal best is 15:04.26, clocked 15:08.56 in the final and finished outside the top 10.
Australia’s Rose Davies won gold with a season-best 14:44.53, while compatriot Jessica Hull secured silver with a season-best 14:45.01. Scotland’s Megan Keith claimed bronze after also producing a season-best, finishing in 14:49.10.
The result also extended India’s wait for a first Commonwealth Games medal in the women’s 5000m. Earlier in the Games, Chaudhary—whose pet event is the 3000m steeplechase—had also missed out on a medal in her preferred discipline.
Chaudhary arrived at the Games with strong recent form, having won the 5000m at the Hangzhou Asian Games. She had also broken the national record with a time of 15:04.26 while finishing second at the Meeting Nikaia in Nice, France, last month, but was unable to translate those numbers into a top finish in Thursday’s Commonwealth Games final.
