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World Athletics U-20 Championship: Indian athletes made history with their impressive performances at the 2026 World Athletics U-20 Championship in Eugene, USA. India won two medals in a single day. Basant Kumar Meghwal won a silver medal in the high jump, while Shahnawaz Khan took home a bronze in the long jump. With this, Basant and Shahnawaz became the first Indian athletes to win medals in their respective events at the World Athletics U-20 Championship.

Basant Kumar won silver in high jump

19-year-old Basant Kumar Meghwal, a resident of Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, performed brilliantly in the high jump event. Representing the Indian Navy, he won the silver medal with a leap of 2.21 meters, his career best. Clearing the same height, Youness Ayachi of Algeria won the gold medal, while Otis Poole of Great Britain took the bronze.

All three athletes cleared 2.21 meters, after which medals were decided based on the number of attempts. Ayachi cleared 2.21 meters in her first attempt, while Meghwal jumped that high in her second and Poole in his third. However, Basant’s silver medal was historic, making him the first Indian athlete to win a medal in the high jump at the World Athletics U-20 Championships.

Shahnawaz won bronze in long jump

After the high jump, Shahnawaz Khan won a medal for India in the long jump. 18-year-old Shahnawaz Khan, a resident of Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, won the bronze medal with a long jump of 7.84 meters. With this, he became the first athlete to win a medal for India in the long jump event of the World Athletics U-20 Championships. He jumped 7.67 meters, 7.72 meters, 7.84 meters, 7.52 meters, 7.83 meters and 5.37 meters in his six attempts respectively.

In this event, Italy’s Daniele Leonardo won the gold medal with a jump of 7.97 meters. Mason McGroder took the silver with a jump of 7.96 meters. It’s worth noting that Shahnawaz has previously demonstrated his talent. He also holds the Under-20 national record. In June 2026, he set a new national record with a remarkable jump of 8.30 meters. Furthermore, he has also won a gold medal at the Asian U-20 Athletics Championships.