Harschit Damodharan’s groundbreaking Asian gold heralds a new era for Indian gymnastics.

India’s Harschit Damodharan made history by securing gold in the Junior Men’s Vault event at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships on June 21. Adding to the achievement, Akshat Bajaj won silver in the same competition.

A final score of 13.649 allowed Damodharan to claim victory in the junior men’s vault event, while Bajaj closely followed with a score of 13.433, resulting in an impressive Indian one-two finish.

This gold-silver result marks the first time in the history of the continental championships that India has accomplished such a feat, showcasing a pivotal moment for the nation’s junior gymnastics program. The achievement was celebrated by national coach Rakesh Patra, the athletes’ personal coaches, and various sporting organizations.
Following the team’s bronze medal win on June 19, these results highlight the success of a collaborative training initiative backed by the Odisha Government. Both gymnasts are now looking to increase the difficulty of their routines in preparation for senior competitions, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Having qualified at the top spot, Uttar Pradesh’s Damodharan delivered an impressive performance in the final. His opening handspring front double twist earned him 13.866 points, and a solid Tsukahara 720 on his second attempt led him to a title-winning average of 13.649.

Bajaj ensured India secured the top two podium positions with his well-executed vaults. The gymnast from Delhi averaged 13.433 across his Tsukahara 720 and Yurchenko 720 routines, finishing comfortably ahead of Uzbekistan’s Bekzad Bakhtiyarov, who took bronze with a score of 13.283.

“This is an incredible achievement for the boys. They trained exceptionally well during the national camp in Bhubaneswar a month ago. As part of their preparation, I also took them to London. They’re performing well, and we expect to win medals in the 2030 Commonwealth Games,” stated India men’s artistic gymnastics coach Rakesh Patra to PTI.

“The Odisha government has been supportive throughout our journey,” he added.

Praveen Sharma is Bajaj’s mentor, while Damodharan receives training guidance from Raja Babu Yadav, who focuses on his physical conditioning and technical development.

Earlier in the competition, both gymnasts contributed to India’s bronze medal achievement in the junior men’s team event.

Patra envisions the next step as raising the technical standards of their vaults. The goal is to move from a 4.8 difficulty rating to levels of 5.2 or even 5.6, necessary to compete consistently at the World Championships and Olympic Games.