World Championships: Tejas taking it one hurdle at a time

India’s ace male hurdler hopes to end an injury-marred season with a personal best in Tokyo

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI: At the start of the year, when Tejas Shirse and coach James Hillier got together to plan the year, they had a clear goal in mind. The World Championships in Tokyo was still a fair way ahead but the duo knew that's where they wanted to be.

Despite his recent success, Shirse had failed to make the cut for any major continental or world event. He missed the 2023 Asian Championships, the 2023 Asian Games, 2024 Paris Olympics, 2025 World Indoors, and 2025 Asian Championships. "All those were near misses, almost by whisker.

Bad luck, fitness, performance, call it what you will, the wait was getting excruciating by the day," he said.

Shirse's preparation started on the wrong foot as he suffered a Grade 1 tear in his left hamstring at the start of the season. Four months into the year, Shirse's left hamstring gave way again as he prepared for the Federation Cup.

Another frustrating period of rehabilitation followed.

"I was working on a new technique, trying to snap down from the hurdle and pulled my hamstring. I guess I was working too hard," the 110m hurdler said.