The leap that began with a dare: The 8.07m jump that made TC Yohannan an Asiad legend

Over five decades have passed, but Thaduthuvila Chandapillai Yohannan, the genial octogenarian, recounts that day in Tehran with the enthusiasm of a five-year-old.It’s the 1974 Asian Games and the then 28-year-old long jumper’s left toe is swollen. He walks onto the runway, taking painkillers.Yohannan’s first attempt lands at 7.25m. The pain shoots up and he takes more painkillers. The second one hits 7.8m and the third is a foul.On his fourth attempt, something clicks. He lands at 8.07m, a leap that would remain an Asian record for three decades.“As I was standing at the podium, with the national anthem playing in the background, I knew I had achieved something momentous,” he told TOI. Yohannan could not sleep that night, partly due to the swelling on his toe. The national anthem was still playing in his mind.As the Asian Games begin in Japan today, Yohannan’s gold medal assumes significance.