Jinson Johnson announces retirement from competitive athletics

Key facts

• Jinson Johnson set the current 1500m Indian National Record (3:35.24) in 2019 at the ISTAF Berlin meet.
• The 34-year-old is a three-time Asian Games medallist – gold (1500m) in 2018, silver (800m) in 2018 and bronze (1500m) in 2023.
• In 2018, Jinson had broken Sriram Singh’s 42-year-old National Record in men’s 800m by clocking 1:45.65.
• He represented India in the 2016 Olympics, making him the first Indian man to take part in the 800m race in 36 years, after Sriram in 1980.
• Jinson has also won two medals in the 800m event at the Asian Athletics Championships – a silver in 2015 and a bronze in 2017.
• His 800m mark was later eclipsed by Mohammed Afsal in 2025.