Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Tejaswin Shankar Disappointed by Decathlon Bronze, Targets World Championships
Tejaswin Shankar competed in a difficult event called the decathlon.
The decathlon has 10 different track and field events.
He finished third and won a bronze medal at the Asian Games.
He was unhappy because he felt he had missed the chance to win silver.
He won the final 1,500-meter race against Yuma Muruyama.
Shankar was especially motivated because Muruyama had beaten him in a previous race.
He thinks competing too many times may have made it harder to perform at his best.
Next, he wants to plan fewer competitions and score enough points to qualify for the World Championships.
Tejaswin Shankar won decathlon bronze at the Asian Games with 7,934 points, while Japan’s Yuma Muruyama won gold with 8,123.
Shankar described the result as losing silver rather than winning bronze, despite winning the final 1,500-meter event.
He beat Muruyama in the 1,500 meters after being motivated by their previous Asian Indoor Championships race.
Shankar said four multi-event competitions this year may have affected his performance and wants a more selective schedule.
He aims to reach 8,300 points for next year’s World Championships while continuing his teaching assistant duties at Kansas State University.
- Who
- Indian decathlete Tejaswin Shankar and Japan’s Yuma Muruyama.
- What
- Shankar won the decathlon bronze medal with 7,934 points and outlined plans to improve his competition schedule and qualify for the World Championships.
- When
- At the Asian Games on Sunday; Shankar planned to return to the United States on Tuesday.
- Where
- The Asian Games were held in Nagoya, and Shankar works at Kansas State University in the United States.
- Why
- Shankar wants to improve from bronze to a higher finish, reach 8,300 points for World Championships qualification, and remain fresher by competing less often.
Shankar’s Assessment
Competition Outcome
Meaning of the bronze medal
Shankar’s Assessment
Shankar said he was disappointed and viewed the result as having lost silver rather than won bronze.
Competition Outcome
The official result was a bronze medal, adding to the silver he won at the previous edition.
Competition workload
Shankar’s Assessment
Shankar said he had competed in four multi-event competitions this year and believed three competitions would be the ideal number for a decathlete.
Competition Outcome
Muruyama had completed fewer decathlons before the Asian Games, which Shankar cited as a factor that may have helped him remain fresher.
- Asian Games result
- Tejaswin Shankar won bronze with 7,934 points.
- Gold medalist
- Japan’s Yuma Muruyama won gold with 8,123 points.
- Final event
- Shankar won the 1,500 meters in 4:33.09, ahead of Muruyama’s 4:33.92.
- Previous medal
- Shankar had won silver at the previous edition.
- National record
- Shankar’s national record is 8,057 points, recorded at the Federation Cup in May.
- Next target
- He aims to score 8,300 points to qualify for next year’s World Championships.
- Academic role
- He is a graduate teaching assistant in the kinesiology department at Kansas State University.
