India Sarvesh Kushare made a strong first impression at the 2026 Monaco Diamond League by finishing third in the men’s high jump. The 31-year-old cleared 2.26m to secure a place on the podium at the Stade Louis II. With the result, he became the first Indian to finish in the top three in a Diamond League debut and only the fourth Indian athlete to achieve a top-three finish in a Diamond League meet, joining Vikas Gowda, Neeraj Chopra and Murali Sreeshankar.Kushare produced a consistent performance throughout the event, clearing 2.12m, 2.16m, 2.20m, 2.23m and 2.26m, all in her first attempt. He could not clear 2.28m despite three attempts, which left him in third place. Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk won the event with a jump of 2.32m, while Great Britain’s Jack Kimani finished second with 2.30m in his own Diamond League debut.Kushare’s podium finish was even more impressive as he finished ahead of several top high jumpers, including Tokyo Olympics gold medalists Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, who placed seventh and eighth respectively.The result adds to what has already been a breakthrough year for the Indian jumper. Last month, I set a new national record of 2.31m at the Senior National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, breaking Tejaswin Shankar’s eight-year mark. He had also become the first Indian vaulter to qualify for the final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year.Kushare has also been named in the 32-member Indian athletics squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and will go into the competition full of confidence after his impressive Diamond League debut.