May 31 was an extraordinary day for Krishna Jayasankar; she became the first Indian discuss and shot put thrower to qualify for the United States’ National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) outdoor athletics championships, set to take place in Eugene on June 11. With a throw of 55.61m in the Western Conference discus throw qualifiers at Austin, Texas, last week, Krishna also broke a 26-year-old school record at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
“During the warm-ups, I did not think that I would reach that mark (55.61m). But the first throw came out really well,” she told this daily from the US, recalling the unexpected day. It was no mean feat for Krishna, considering she had just come off a calf injury. Her injury lay-offs also cost her a chance last year. “This is my final outdoor season. And to seize that opportunity to participate in the highest collegiate levels — it is a special feeling,” she added.
To taste this milestone, Krishna had to go through a fair bit. Be it getting body shamed for her ‘muscular build,’ suffering from bad mental health, for the better part of the past decade, Krishna had endured a lot. However, she was determined, and the rewards came along with time. “Firstly, I learnt that life begins at the end of comfort. After I moved to Jamaica with track and field coach Michael Vessel (from Tenvic Sports, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh) to train further, I missed out on opportunities for scholarships with throws being one centimetre short. That’s when I worked really hard and earned myself a full academic and athletic scholarship from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP),” she shared.
After a year at UTEP, Krishna moved to UNLV, where the coaches did not just guide, but they held Olympic heritage. Krishna describes her head coach and former Olympic gold medallist in 100m, Carmelita Jeter, as someone who preaches independence. “Their backing has helped me so much, and has made me a better person,” she said. It has helped in the way Krishna has performed so far in 2025.
Earlier, she broke the national record for indoor shot put with a throw of 16.03m at the Mountain West Indoor track and field championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is keen on continuing her purple patch. “After the outdoor meet in Eugene, I will be working to get myself a spot in both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year,” she added. Krishna has expressed her desire to represent India soon after she meets her academic commitments. “That is the goal,” she added.
Krishna’s parents are elated with her win, describing their feelings over their daughter’s success as something “written in the stars”. “We initially felt bad after sending her far away from us,” said her mother, Prasanna Jayasankar. “But we realised it was for the best.”
She recalled a conversation with her daughter over the phone. “She (Krishna) had said that she was not worth anything. I told her there’s no space for emotion in sports. I insisted she take the chance and give the best, then,” shared Prasanna.
Krishna’s father, and former Indian basketball player C Jayasankar, was over the moon. “Nothing compares to my daughter’s success. She had gone through a lot of changes and stayed on her feet despite all that,” he shared. Amid all the happiness, Jayasankar felt a pinch of regret over the fact that not many Indians were present there. “If a girl from Chennai can achieve this feat, then why not the others? I wish others had made this feat before Krishna did,” he said.
With the discus upon her shoulder, Krishna will aim at a distance that would mean success to her and the nation. That day might not be too far away.