New Delhi: In January this year, when Tejaswin Shankar landed in the USA for a second stint at Kansas State University, he had his sights firmly set on a mark he describes as the “hallmark of an elite decathlete.” Eight thousand points, he says, is akin to achieving the passing marks in a Chartered Accountancy exam with a seemingly endless syllabus. With only nine men in Asia having crossed that threshold, it’s understandable why the self-proclaimed nerd draws such academic analogies.
With no one in India really challenging him, the current national record holder (7,826 points) is always on the lookout for fresh challenges. Mt 8000, Tejaswin agrees, “has a nice ring to it.” “There’s no scientific reason as to why I chose 8000 points as my next target other than the fact that it is the starting point at which you are looked at as a real decathlete,” he said from Tianjin in China where he’ll compete in heptathlon at the Asian Athletics Indoor Championships.
The 27-year-old has got his competitive juices flowing with a top finish in high jump (2.26m) at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational indoor competition last week (Jan 30). The result gave him a sound assessment of his preparation as he builds up for what promises to be a loaded year.
“It’s a very encouraging result. It gave me a definite marker of my body’s capability. 2.26m is something I hadn’t done in three years. I was coming off a solid grind through the past 4-5 months and the only way to test my preparation was to compete. DeLoss Dodds Invitational was not on my initial calendar but I decided to compete because I wanted to see how my body behaves in a competition without significantly lowering the training load,” he said.
“That said, to test yourself in one event and to perform in combined events are completely different propositions. I will analyse my performance here (in China) which will give me interesting data points about how my body behaves under duress.”
Excruciating as it is, the greater challenge in decathlon is mental. Competing across two days requires a nuanced understanding of points calibration as well as a dispassionate appreciation of one’s capabilities. Chasing perfection here can be self defeating and athletes walk the fine line between excellence and efficiency.
“It’s a little counterintuitive. We can’t be chasing perfection or excellence here because that will mean I am compromising on other disciplines,” he said. While Tejaswin’s key strengths are in jumps, it’s the throw events that tend to offset him. “I am usually in the top bracket after Day 1 because of my strong events, but Day 2 is a struggle. Some athletes are very good on Day 2 events which can completely upset your position. It’s a bit like rummy; you are not sure who is holding which cards.”
“If I focus too much on throws and build myself a thrower’s physique, it might hamper my stronger suits. It’s a bit of a tightrope,” he explained.
The answer lies in listening to the signals the body sends in training. Every little progress is noted, each plateau recorded. A decathlete’s ‘training week’ typically lasts 10 days with the athlete trying to dedicate a day each for every individual event.
“It’s like touching upon all chapters of the syllabus. I don’t have the time to be excellent at everything; ought to be the jack of everything. I don’t get too caught up in technicalities because I won’t be able to be decent at anything. You have to be the best generalist. You have to be a beast of a physical unit and a mentality monster at the same time. If you are not prepared physically, you will embarrass yourself,” Tejaswin said.
Besides the 8000-point barrier which he’ll have a go at later this season, he plans to better his own heptathlon national record (5,650) in China. “If I can get close to 5900 points, that will tell me I am good in seven of the 10 events. That will be a big confidence booster,” he said.
Also on his radar this season is logging 8m in long jump. It’s a mark that only a handful of jumpers in India have been able to achieve and Tejaswin fancies his chances. “I think I have the attributes to do it. It’s an opportunity to push yourself. Besides, an 8m jump will fetch me a good number of points,” Tejaswin said.
