Tejaswin Shankar Becomes First Indian To Win Medal In Decathlon, Seals Historic Bronze At CWG 2026 Despite Knee Injury

National record holder Tejaswin Shankar scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a decathlon medal at the Commonwealth Games. The 27-year-old clinched bronze with 7,976 points after two days of intense competition on Friday. It was another milestone in an inspiring comeback from a long-standing knee injury.

Tejaswin competed despite battling chronic patellar tendinitis, commonly known as jumper's knee. The same injury had forced him to withdraw from the high jump at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after his opening attempt. The setback had left him in tears, making this medal all the more special.

This was Tejaswin's second Commonwealth Games medal after winning bronze in the high jump at Birmingham 2022. He also claimed a decathlon silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. His national record of 8,057 points remains the Indian benchmark in the event.

The Indian athlete ended the opening day in second place after five events, trailing only Canada's Damian Warner. He slipped during the second day but climbed back into medal contention after the javelin throw, the ninth event. A fifth-place finish in the concluding 1,500m race was enough to secure the bronze medal.

Grenada's Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lindon Victor won the gold with 8,096 points. Canada's Damian Warner finished with the silver after collecting 8,036 points. Tejaswin's fighting performance ensured India celebrated another historic achievement in athletics.

The bronze underlined Tejaswin's resilience and consistency across multiple disciplines. Competing through pain, he delivered when it mattered most to add another major medal to his growing collection. More importantly, he etched his name in history as India's first Commonwealth Games medallist in the decathlon.