India, Feb. 6 -- In January this year, when Tejaswin Shankar landed in the USA for a second stint at Kansas State University, he had his sights firmly set on a mark he describes as the "hallmark of an elite decathlete." Eight thousand points, he says, is akin to achieving the passing marks in a Chartered Accountancy exam with a seemingly endless syllabus. With only nine men in Asia having crossed that threshold, it's understandable why the self-proclaimed nerd draws such academic analogies.

With no one in India really challenging him, the current national record holder (7,826 points) is always on the lookout for fresh challenges. Mt 8000, Tejaswin agrees, "has a nice ring to it." "There's no scientific reason as to why I chose 8000 point...