India got two more athletics medals in its Asian Games 2026 collection with Sarvesh Kushare winning silver in the men’s high jump and Parul Chaudhary taking bronze in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. The two Indian athletes produced impressive displays at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium yesterday, giving the country another strong performance in track and field.
Kushare cleared 2.25m in a closely fought men’s high jump final. Chao Hsuan-Fu from Chinese Taipei also cleared 2.25m, but the gold medal went to Chao for his first attempt to get the height, while Kushare had two attempts. The bronze medal went to Republic of Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo after he reached 2.22m.
Kushare had a great start to his competition and was in the lead and still in the mix at the end of the competition. He cleared 2.10m, 2.14m, 2.18m and 2.22m on his first attempts and did so consistently at each height. His clean sequence of early clearances has kept him in medal contention throughout the competition.
The battle for the top place got much more intense after Chao cleared 2.25m. The Chinese Taipei athlete had to take two tries to reach 2.18m but he was able to reach the target at 2.25m and got it on his first try. Kushare finally matched the mark and they were all in the mix for gold.
Both athletes then attempted 2.28m but neither of them managed to jump the height despite three chances. The countback rule determined the final positions with no more successful jumps. Chao’s first attempt at 2.25m in the final gave him the gold medal and Kushare finished with the silver.
Kushare’s silver is another big accomplishment in his international athletics career. He also displays how India is increasingly getting into field events at the big multi-sport competitions.
Parul Chaudhary had another great finish in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase. The experienced runner clocked 9:08.67 to win the bronze medal and broke her own national record. Her performance also made her the first Indian woman to complete the event under 9 minutes and 10 seconds.
Parul entered the steeplechase final after finishing fourth in the 1500m event. She responded strongly, staying close to the top runners from the start of the race. Around the halfway point, she was in the race for a higher podium position but she couldn’t keep that pace throughout the closing stages.
Kazakhstan’s Norah Tanui was ahead of Parul with a silver medal winning performance of 9:06.82, while Bahrain’s Yavi Winfred won the gold medal with a Games-record time of 9:04.36. India’s other competitor Ankita was fourth with 9:19.24.
The bronze medal was Parul’s third Asian Games medal. She had previously won gold in the women’s 5000m and silver in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Her current performance therefore adds another medal to an already remarkable Asian Games record.
Kushare and Parul’s two medals also further underline India’s performance in athletics at the Asian Games 2026. Kushare’s silver came after a close high jump final but Parul’s bronze came with a new national record, which makes it much more significant for the Indian team.
