Commonwealth Games 2018: Aussie cricketer Mitchell Starc's brother Brandon beat India's Tejaswin Shankar to win high jump gold
What's the story?
All eyes were on 19-year-old Tejaswin Shankar at the Men's High Jump final held earlier on Wednesday at the Carrerra s Stadium, Gold Coast. However, the youngster could only clear a maximum height of 2.24m and ended up finishing sixth in the event.
However, what may have missed the eye of many Indians is the fact that Brandon Starc, who won the gold at the same event, is Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc's brother!
In case you didn't know...
Having broken the national record (2.28m) twice in recent months, Tejaswin was expected to bag at least a bronze and end India's drought in athletics at the Commonwealth Games. However, he failed in his attempt to clear 2.27m and was eliminated early on.
Brandon Starc, on the other hand, went on to achieve a personal best of 2.32 m and clinch the gold medal.
The heart of the matter
Apart from being Mitchell's brother, Brandon has quite a connection with cricket. Alyssa Healy, the wicketkeeper of the Australian women's team, is Brandon's sister-in-law.
On Wednesday, Brandon bagged the most important medal of his career after the silver at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. The crowd at the Carrara stadium were on their feet, egging him on during the high jump finals before every single attempt he made.
After the event, on being asked about his brother and whether he played cricket or not, Brandon replied, "No, I don't follow cricket. That's my brother's sport. I played when I was younger but nah that wasn't mine. We played when we were younger in the backyard, that's it."
Later on, Mitchell took to his Twitter account to congratulate his brother.
What's next?
Having made his mark at the Commonwealth Games, Brandon will no doubt look to perform well at the Olympic Games. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, a jump of 2.33m had secured the bronze. Keeping that in mind, the 24-year-old will be hopeful of a medal in Tokyo.
Author's take
It is heartwarming to see how proud Mitchell was of his brother's achievement. Their bonding has been well-documented on social media as well through the years. Also, the fact that both of them are excelling in their individual fields is sure to bring a smile to any sports lover's face.